Vets Home On Fairmount

Journal story...

Residence for homeless veterans gets second chance

MIDDLETOWN —
A proposed shelter in the city’s south end for homeless military veterans is getting a second chance.

The Middletown Planning Commission is expected to vacate its earlier decision at tonight’s meeting and allow a home at 1314 Fairmount Ave. to be used as a residence for homeless veterans from Middletown who are recovering from substance abuse issues.

Les Landen, the city’s law director, said after the August planning commission meeting there was a “misunderstanding” about how the home was going to be used. He said the city — because of wording on the application — thought it was going to be a shelter or group home. Instead, he said, because three to five residents will be living there, it’s considered residential, which is a permissible use.

Landen said the residents “have a right to be there.”

C'MON LES, WHAT'S THE REAL REASON FOR THE CHANGE OF MIND?
THREE TO FIVE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE LIVING THERE......CONSIDERED RESIDENTIAL RATHER THAN A GROUP HOME NOW?... THREE TO FIVE SOUNDS "GROUPISH" TO ME.

At a meeting in August, residents and property owners who opposed the plan said the house is located a block-and-a-half away from the old turf of the Baltimore Street Gang that terrorized the neighborhood for years with assaults, robberies and drug dealing.

The proposed location is not the right area for a shelter, they said, as drug activity is still prevalent in the area.

“They (the veterans) don’t need to be there if they have substance abuse (issues),” said Sherry Sunderhaus, who owns a house at 1309 Fairmount Ave.

Barbara Arnold, owner of 1307 Fairmount Ave., said “there’s enough going on” in the area without adding at-risk, recovering addicts to the mix

PERHAPS RESISTANCE FROM THE NEIGHBORS? THOUGHT THE BALTIMORE STREET GANG WASN'T AN ISSUE ANYMORE AS IT WAS REPORTED THEY HAD BEEN "TAKEN OUT" BY POLICE.

AHH, THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF HOW THINGS ARE INTERPRETED.