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By a vote of 3-2 before a standing-room-only crowd at the City Council Chambers, the Washington Board of Adjustments denied the request for a special use permit to locate a new men’s shelter and kitchen adjacent to Kingdom Distributors at the intersection of E. 4th and McNair Streets.

For a special use permit to be approved, the board must find that the request meets both a list of 12 general criteria found in Section 40-115 and seven specific criteria found in Section 40-115 of the Zoning Ordinance. It is incumbent upon the applicant, Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Corporation (CDC) to provide the board with evidence as to why their request meets the required criteria. In voting to turn down the request, board chair Steve Fuchs, along with Stanley Friedman and James Cox, cited two areas within the set of general guidelines they felt were not met.

• The proposed use will not adversely affect the health and safety of residents and workers in the city.
• The proposed use will be compatible with existing uses that are adjacent to or neighboring the proposed location, as measured in terms of its physical size, intensity of use, visual impact, and proximity to other structures.

Before hearing remarks from the applicants and concerned residents, board chair Steve Fuchs announced that he owned two properties in the neighborhood adjacent to the proposed site, but felt he could fairly weigh the testimony about to be given. He chose not to recuse himself.

Reverend James Moore, executive director of Metropolitan Housing and CDC, along with his brother Joseph Moore, executive director of Metropolitan Property Management, and project manager Darwin Woolard, went into great detail about the plan, which calls for the construction of a new 6,500 sq. ft. building, which will provide shelter for up to 20 men and a kitchen where meals will be prepared for the residents. The facility would also include a day treatment area and three conference rooms, and a very elaborate security system. Unlike the current location, the services would be program-based. The residents will be provided housing, job placement, employability skills, transportation, food stability, medical/mental health services, financial literacy training, and assistance with other issues they may face. To be a resident, an individual will have to go through extensive background checks and drug screenings. Each must work on a job site or work towards earning a certification during the day, which will include classes provided onsite by Beaufort County Community College.

Reverend Moore went on to discuss the challenges of finding a new location for the Zion Shelter and Kitchen. “The city of Washington is landlocked, and there is no other place we can put a shelter within the city,” said Reverend Moore. “I have looked at all of the zoning ordinances, and the land that my company owns at 418 N. Brown Street is zoned I2 industrial, and it is allowable to put a homeless shelter there contingent upon your approval of the special use permit. We have held two meetings with residents from the area to explain our plan in great detail with the hope of dispelling some of the biases and preconceived notions about what a homeless shelter might bring. We have the infrastructure and pieces already in place that will benefit the entire city, including some of those here tonight who are opposed to it. They too may benefit from it, and their hearts may change down the road.”

“We have a proven track record over the last 30 years thanks to the work of my father, Reverend David Moore, started,” added Joseph Moore. Everyone can have an opinion on why you shouldn’t do this. We are asking you to look at our resume and understand we are not going to put anything in our own backyard that is not going to be successful. We are not asking you to approve a mess, so you have to search your hearts. If we are not changing things, then we are accepting them.”

Throughout the course of the nearly three-hour meeting, ten residents spoke out, indicating their support for a new shelter but at the same time voicing their concerns––why right in the middle of their neighborhood when, according to them, there are more ideal locations currently available; security and safety issues, potential flooding because it would be located in a flood zone, the perception that property values will decline, and the perceived notion that there will be an increase in crime, citing figures from numerous studies that were conducted outside of North Carolina, that did not pertain specifically to Washington. “The program they are proposing is untested at this scale,” said Chris Hadalton. “It has been publicly stated that they will not be able to provide 100 percent safety for the entire neighborhood. They have recommended residents install additional lighting and security cameras along with increased police patrols. All this means to us is that they recognize there will be an increased risk of crime in the neighborhood. The security systems they are proposing are to protect their facility, not our neighborhood.” 

“The neighbors rightly have concerns, they are all founded, and they have spoken,” added former Zion Shelter and Soup Kitchen board member Suzanne Anderson. “A broader search for a new location has not been initiated. No ads have been published regarding trying to find a new space. There are other private properties and FEMA properties that need to be investigated. I ask that you not approve the request and form a search committee to look for a new space. Metropolitan Housing and CDC are not the only property owners in town.”

In a statement following the meeting, Reverend Moore said he felt a bit disappointed but not upset, and they would appeal the decision.