BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise Planning and Zoning Commission voted Monday to deny the conditional use permit allowing Interfaith Sanctuary to open an emergency shelter at the proposed location on State Street five to one.
Chairperson Meredith Stead was the only vote against the denial.
The proposed location has been a controversial topic for some area neighbors of the State Street location and Interfaith for months. Back in February, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean asked Interfaith Sanctuary to pause their application for a conditional use permit and established the Shelter Better Task Force.
The task force was created to research alternative location possibilities and best practices for emergency shelters in Boise. The task force ended only to suggest best practices and didn't recommend a location for Interfaith Sanctuary.
Related: Shelter Better Task Force outlines recommendations for city, shelter leaders
In October, Interfaith Sanctuary sent a letter to the city saying it was continuing its application for a conditional use permit. In November, the Boise Planning and Zoning Commission motioned to continue discussions about the CUP.
The commission heard three meetings worth of public comment both in support and against the state street location. At the December 13 meeting, the commission moved to vote on the conditional use permit on Monday, January 3.
Related: Decision not made yet on new Interfaith Sanctuary location
At that meeting, the commission cited a lack of security mitigation measures provided by Interfaith Sanctuary with concerns raised in a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design report, among other factors.
Though a decision was made Monday, this may not be the last time we hear about Interfaith Sanctuary's proposed move to State Street, as it can be appealed to the Boise City Council and could even make it to the court system.
