City gears up for homeless parking

Divided Council sends permitting to Planning Commish; staff to draft operational agreement|

The City of Sonoma inched closer to testing out a safe-parking program for people living in vehicles Monday night, when the City Council voted 3-2 to move forward with granting a use permit for the Sonoma Overnight Support homeless nonprofit to oversee five parking spaces out in front of the Haven shelter on First Street West.

The five spaces would allow the vehicular-housed to sleep in their cars from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., with access to SOS bathroom facilities, as well as client screening and drug and alcohol testing conducted by an SOS case manager. Project supporters are hoping to launch the pilot program as early as December, as the rainy season hits.

The use permit will first go before the Planning Commission for approval. City staff, meanwhile, are drafting an operational agreement with SOS on how the program will be regulated.

Critics of the proposal, however, say the Haven is already a magnet for bringing homeless people into the neighborhood, and adding safe-parking spaces will only exacerbate the problem.

Kathy King, director of SOS, spoke at the meeting to allay such concerns and affirm that guidelines for taking part in the program would be strictly enforced.

“I’m here to reassure you this program will decrease interaction between (homeless and nearby residents), as well as crime,” said King.

King said clients will be required to show a driver’s license, leave the property as soon as parking hours are over, and submit to drug testing. She also said case workers will register client driver’s license and vehicle license numbers with the police and work with clients to see they’re on a path out of homelessness.

Cynthia Scarborough, director of Vintage House senior center on First Street East, echoed King’s assurances that such a program would help, not disrupt, the neighborhood.

“I appreciate the fear, it’s largely a fear of the unknown,” said Scarborough. “But these people are not to be feared.”

However, First Street West resident Steve Weisiger, wasn’t so sure.

“I’m not afraid of the unknown,” said Weisiger. “I’m afraid of the known incidents… that have been happening in our neighborhood.”

Weisiger described the situation as living “knee deep in a homeless encampment.”

“To our detriment we have been patient,” said Weisiger, before reeling off a litany of stories he’s heard about homeless “having sex in the bushes,” finding toilet paper in the street and “people jumping out at people on Overlook Trail.”

Elaina Alioto is the case manager for the proposed program. She said the homeless who use the Haven’s services couldn’t be more polite and has “never met one who is hostile.”

“My main realization is – this could be me,” said Alioto. “Part of the fear is that we see part of ourselves in each of these homeless people.”

First Street West resident Kathy Reilly said it’s an issue of safety.

“My backyard backs up to the Field of Dreams,” said Reilly. “I’ll feel less safe knowing there will be people sleeping in their cars two doors from my house.”

Denise Ewings, who operates a vacation rental in the neighborhood, said the neighbors have been “compassionate to our own detriment” and called for a moratorium on the entire Sonoma Overnight Support program at its current location.

Depot Hotel owner Gia Ghilarducci spoke about a homeless man who came into the hotel during a rainstorm. Hotel staff served him coffee and allowed him to stay warm, but when it was time to leave at closing time, he “cursed” her son for “kicking him out.” Ghilarducci urged the council to support the parking program, but cautioned them to “remember the community around the program.”

When it came time for city councilmembers to weigh in, Rachel Hundley urged her colleagues to support the program, saying that a successful safe-parking program at the Haven could work as a model for other nonprofits or congregations to embark upon similar programs.

Councilmember David Cook said it makes him “feel sad that people are living in cars,” but echoed his earlier sentiments that the Haven is the wrong location for the homeless to park.

Councilmember Madolyn Agrimonti said the city needs “an actual shelter – somewhere not in this location.” But she did express her support for the homeless parking program at the Haven, though cautioned that when homeless drivers fail a drug test and are turned away from the program, they “are going to have to steal” in order to pay for food.

Mayor Laurie Gallian called the program “a temporary plan,” and that “our full plan has yet to be unraveled.”

But, added Gallian, “this is where we all have to come together.”

In the end, the council voted 3-2, with councilmembers Cook and Gary Edwards dissenting, to bring the matter to the Planning Commission under a Temporary Use Permit issuance for SOS. Meanwhile, staff will be drafting an operational agreement with SOS on how the program will be regulated.

Email Jason at jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.

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