Good Samaritan Ministries seeks OK for emergency women’s shelter

Good Samaritan Ministries is seeking a permit to convert a funeral home next door to Our Place, the nonprofit’s addiction recovery drop-in center, into an emergency shelter to help the growing number of unsheltered women living on Helena streets. Good Samaritan, a local Catholic charity that began in the 1980s as a thrift store, leases part of the property at 648 Jackson St. where it operates the existing drop-in center.

The organization is proposing converting the adjacent space in the building, currently being used as a chapel by Simple Cremation, into an overnight emergency women’s shelter with 26 beds open from 4 p. m. to 9 a.

m. between Oct. 1 and May 1.

The building is shared with another tenant, satellite offices for Rocky Mountain Development Council’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The organization is poised to request a conditional use permit from the Helena City Commission to allow for emergency shelter land use in the Downtown Zoning District. A 76-page report prepared by city staff characterized the surrounding area as one of new development and redevelopment.

“Currently and historically, the mixed-use nature of the Downtown Zoning District has led to the location of numerous organizations offering social services to vulnerable individuals,” the report reads. “The applicant states that the close proximity of these services, specifically PureView for health care services and AWARE for mental health care, provide substantial benefits to the shelter clientele. ” There is a range of other service providers for these populations within a mile radius of the proposed shelter location such as Helena Valley Addiction Services, according to the report.

The report also details needed repairs to the structure, built in 1938, required by the Helena Building and Fire departments, including the installation of shower facilities, fire suppression systems and security measures. The report also states the organization intends to upgrade the building’s exterior lighting, install additional bike racks and create a designated outdoor space for “smoking and congregation. ” City staff notes in the report a reuse of the facility and expansion of critical services align with the city’s adopted neighborhood plan for the area and support approval of permit.

City staff ultimately recommends approval for the permit with some conditions, including all personal items aside from bicycles are to be stored inside the facility. Plymouth Congregational Church’s Outreach and Social Justice Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Thompson authored a letter to the city in support of the proposed shelter on behalf of the church, stating it “distinctly speaks to Helena’s compassionate and innovative spirit. ” Three letters of opposition to the proposal were received.

Local developer and adjacent property owner Rex Seeley wrote one of the opposition letters. Seeley in 2019 purchased the land from the city at a below market rate to build his Seeley Building, located across Last Chance Gulch from Our Place, and also received more than $50,000 in public funds generated through a tax increment financing district to complete the construction. “I am extremely opposed to this change,” Seeley wrote.

“We are already cleaning up feces, garbage, and discarded possessions of transients in the area. They trespass on posted property, dump trash, steal, and vandalize. They have made fires in my front lawn as they prepared their drugs as well as fires behind the building next door, and our back yard which is very disconcerting since we have a wood building.

They are often aggressive, accost our customers and intimidate our employees and the cleaning people at the Seeley Building. I do not want to have to deal with more issues with them. Putting any additional money into that building would be a poor investment.

” Paul Williams said he owns buildings at 612-614 N. Last Chance Gulch since 1984, and in his letter of opposition told the city he has had problems with unsheltered people. “It is TIME for the city of Helena to acknowledge and invest in the businesses and property owners who are the lifeblood of our city, and stop these ‘feel good’ projects which are at the expense of business owners.

The reason for zoning is to alleviate problems which this conditional use permit will inevitably cause. I am very strongly opposed to this conditional use permit. DO NOT ALLOW IT” The permit application is set to be heard by the Helena Zoning Commission during its Tuesday meeting scheduled for 6 p.

m. The zoning commission will make a recommendation on the permit application to the city commission, which will make a final decision at a to-be-determined meeting. An open house at Our Place is scheduled for 5-7 p.

m. Monday at 631 N. Last Chance Gulch for more public engagement with the community.

.