The future of a new low-income apartment complex is in the hands of the Manitowoc Common Council.
The Manitowoc Plan Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Wednesday evening (July 24th) for The Neighborhood so it can move forward to the full common council.
City Planner Paul Braun explained that the permit allows for the conversion of the former McKinley school on Huron Street to become 30 transitional apartments while keeping the historic features of the building intact.
After Braun explained how the CUP works, the Plan Commission heard comments from a couple of people, including Rob Saraki, who says while he’s in favor of turning McKinley into low-income housing, he has some concerns about the homeless.
Saraki wanted to make sure everyone’s comments, including those concerned about safety, were taken seriously while also not wanting the conversion of the former McKinley school into low-income housing to fall on the taxpayers.
Lastly, he’s concerned about the homeless here after working with them in different cities in other states.
“Unless the homeless population is different than other places where I’ve lived, or their DNA is different, I doubt, I see the homeless, and I got to say this, most of them don’t want to work because things are given to them,” Saraki stated. “I’ve seen this through my church in West Texas, I’ve seen this through my work in Denver with the homeless. Not everyone is going to agree with me, but that’s what I see.”
First Presbyterian Volunteer Ken Walters disagreed.
He says the apartments will help people who rely on The Haven Men’s Homeless Shelter and Hope House to move up in life.
He says while most know where they will sleep at night, the homeless don’t.
“This new project, the Neighborhood at McKinley School, opens up the opportunity for the people at Hope House and The Haven to elevate themself, which then allows the people in the warming shelter and the people we haven’t helped yet to elevate themselves,” he explained. “And then the people transition from McKinley neighborhood into our general population.”
The Neighborhood is a collaboration between First Presbyterian, Hope House, the Haven, and Manitowoc Warming Shelter to provide affordable housing for those not as fortunate.
The original plan called for the warming shelter to also be placed in the former school, but now The Neighborhood is looking for another building to place it.
Another public hearing will again be held during Manitowoc’s next common council meeting on August 19th.