McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Lorynne Young
Monday, June 12, 2023 3:09 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Item 22 on tonights agenda - Safe Parking
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Mayor Gordo and members of the City Council:
My name is Lorynne Young. I am a resident of District 3 and I am chair of the Peace and Justice Ministries Committee at All Saints Church. I am writing in support of the Planning Commission recommendation to allow overnight safe parking on all church property in Pasadena with a minor conditional use permit.
Pasadena has made great strides in combating homelessness over recent years, but there is much left to be done and this would be an excellent step forward in helping our unhoused neighbors. I know you are all aware of the successful Safe Haven Bridge to Housing program that we have at All Saints.
Overnight safe parking programs could have a similar positive effect by allowing churches to provide save, monitored areas for people living in their cars and to connect them to programs that could help them get rehoused.
I feel that the Planning Department's proposal to allow safe parking only on church property in commercial zones is too limiting. By allowing parking in all zones with a use permit, it would allow neighbors to express any concerns and to be reassured at how the programs will be run at each site.
Please take this opportunity to allow our churches to help the city in it's efforts to eliminate homelessness.
Lorynne Young
6/12/2023
Item 22
1 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
Subject:FW: support expansion of Safe Parking sites to all religious congregations From: Gloria Newton
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 4:15 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse <[email protected]> Subject: support expansion of Safe Parking sites to all religious congregations CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Dear City Council,
I am writing in support of the Planning Commission's recommendation to allow for churches to host safe parking sites on their properties upon approval of a minor conditional use permit. I would urge the Council to expand the zoning code amendment to include residential neighborhoods. Limiting these safe parking site to churches in commercial zones would deny most churches the opportunity to help alleviate the homelessness crisis.
Safe parking sites are just that - SAFE. Safe parkers are vetted, programs are highly structured and have strict requirements, and those who break the rules must leave the programs. The participants tend to be older individuals and women who need a safe place to park and receive services. These participants are the least of our worries when it comes to threats to neighbors and school children.
There is plenty of UNSAFE parking by those experiencing homelessness already going on in our residential neighborhoods and near schools. Just last December, 60-year-old Corina Monroy, who was living out of her van, was killed during an altercation in the parking lot on the corner of LosRobles Ave. and Villa St., a corner surrounded by residences of all types. If Corina had been able to enter a safe parking program, she would probably be alive today and perhaps would have been able to find permanent housing.
Religious institutions want to be a part of the solution to our homelessness crisis. Please vote to allow our congregations to provide legitimate, highly structured and supervised safe parking sites in all Pasadena neighborhoods with approval of minor conditional use permits.
Thank you for taking up this matter and for your continued service to our community. I truly do appreciate your dedication.
Best regards,
Gloria Newton, District 5 homeowner
Pasadena, CA
A*******************
"Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can."
--Arthur Ashe
6/12/2023
Item 22
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