BOISE, Idaho — Boise's Planning and Zoning Commission is postponing until Dec. 13 its vote on the proposed conditional use permit for Interfaith Sanctuary's new location on State Street in Boise.
More than 100 people testified Monday night during a hearing at Boise City Hall.
Interfaith has said the shelter's current location at 1620 W River Street in downtown Boise is simply too small, especially given social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People with strong feelings for and against the proposed new site near State Street and Collister Drive testified Monday.
Among those testifying in support of Interfaith Sanctuary was a man who said he was "previously a guest" at the shelter.
"This new facility isn't about having a new space to house people; it's about changing lives and ending the cycle that perpetuates homelessness at the roots," he said.
Another man said, "the fact that Interfaith might move close to my home and church will definitely change, but these changes give us a chance to care for the most vulnerable in our community."
Those who spoke against granting Interfaith's conditional use permit said they were concerned about safety and a shelter's impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
"i would ask you to imagine how safe you would feel walking with six to eight young children outside the Interfaith Sanctuary location, exposing them to loitering, and littering, public intoxication, fighting, public urination and defecation, needles and drugs," one woman said.
Another woman testified that "the needs of a large low-barrier homeless shelter are not compatible with the needs of a predominately family-oriented residential neighborhood."
The hearing on Interfaith Sanctuary's conditional use permit will continue at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13 at Boise City Hall.
At about 30,000 square feet, the proposed spot on State Street is three times larger than Interfaith's current shelter and could serve more than 300 people each day.
The project would include converting the former thrift store into overnight emergency housing with restrooms, showers, meeting rooms and offices.
A smaller adjacent building, previously used by the Salvation Army as a food pantry, will be renovated into a commercial kitchen to provide meals and food service training.
The plan also calls for upgrading the site to provide parking and landscape improvements along State Street, as well as the installation of gardens and other passive landscape improvements on the property north of the building.
Interfaith Sanctuary initially planned on submitting an application for a conditional use permit to the city of Boise in April but agreed to pause to process following a request from Boise Mayor Lauren McLean.
Because there was so much opposition to the proposed location, McLean formed the Shelter Better task force to try to find a better location. However, after two months of meeting, the task force was unable to find an "available, affordable building that was zoned to be a shelter."
Both Boise Police and the Boise Fire Department said they were neutral on the issue, but both departments added that they would be capable of handling an increase in calls related to the shelter if it was on State Street. The Boise Public Library has thrown its support behind the proposed shelter move.
There was still quite a bit of opposition from neighbors, however.
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