The Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission met on January 12th for a public listening to associated to the second utility for City Walk- City Mission, Inc. to function as a Transitional Residential Facility.

The allow was denied in a 3-2 vote.

City Walk is situated at 1709 Mahan Drive in Tallahassee and, for the final yr, has turn into a degree of rivalry for residents in the realm and at metropolis conferences.

The denial of the allow means City Walk is working out of compliance with metropolis codes.

“This can be very disappointing that the fee rejected the thorough and impartial ruling of a decide and continues to disregard the legislation and the info,” stated Senior Legal professional Jordan Pratt, who’s representing City Walk.

In March 2021, the Improvement Overview Committee (DRC) denied the shelter a allow and issued fines for persevering with operations. Because of this, City Walk, who stated town was discriminating in opposition to spiritual establishments, then filed an enchantment in the Circuit Court docket. Solely, the decide sided with town and upheld the fines.

Then in November 2021, the case went earlier than Florida Administrative Regulation Decide (ALJ) G.W. Chisenhall, who dominated that town ought to permit the shelter to function with stipulations. Decide Chisenhall listed ten situations for the shelter’s approval, for instance, sustaining safety together with digital camera surveillance and no acceptance of anybody convicted of a sex-related offense.

“The purported ‘guidelines’ referenced by the ALJ and the proposed ‘situations’ present no safety from the detrimental results of the shelter,” town responded in a courtroom doc to the situations set by Decide Chisenhall.

There have been 14 public audio system throughout the Planning Commission assembly on Wednesday, January 12th, and all 14 enterprise homeowners and residents spoke out in opposition to City Walk’s allow approval. They cited points corresponding to security, people sleeping in the doorways of companies, some defecating in personal yards, and requesting cash.

After an all-day assembly and hours of deliberation, the fee in the end denied the allow.

In accordance media stories, Assistant City Legal professional Lou Norvell defined that the principles set by the ALJ usually are not enforceable by town, “You bought a company that’s been working and not using a allow for a yr. So even when these guidelines labored, town doesn’t have any technique to implement these guidelines,” Norvell stated. “The town received’t be inspecting the power. It didn’t have a proper to enter with out permission, and no authorities entity can be inspecting the power.”

City Walk might problem the choice in Leon County Circuit Court docket.

In a press release, City Walk officers stated, “We respect all the hassle put into immediately’s listening to by the planning fee. We’ll proceed to serve God as He has referred to as us,our shoppers, out church, and group as we’ve got been. We invite the native powers to affix us in the next courtroom.”

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