THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2003
STATE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 9A
Commission grants permit for shelter on Kentucky St.
By JJ Hensley
jhensley@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence City Commission granted a temporary permit Tuesday night for the only homeless shelter in Lawrence willing to allow homeless who have been drinking.
The 20-bed shelter will operate at 944 Kentucky St.
In approving the shelter, the city commission went against the City-County planning commission's two-week-old recommendation that a use permit, a permit granted to legally occupy a building, not be granted for the shelter at that location. The commission also overrode a protest petition filed by residents in the Oread neighborhood, both of which required a majority vote of 4-1.
Outgoing commissioner Marty Kennedy was the lone dissenting vote.
"The planning commission didn't approve this because according to the planning commission, it doesn't meet zoning codes," Kennedy said, explaining his vote against the shelter. "This is a land-use issue, not a compassion issue."
Many of the Lawrence resi.
dents who addressed the city commission shared split opinions.
The shelter's supporters are focused on caring for the homeless.
"I think there's a real lack of services available to the homeless in this community and the open shelter really opens the door for more services," said Samantha Finke, a senior in social welfare who lives in Oread. Finke spoke at Tuesday's meeting in support of the shelter.
The shelter's opponents wanted to find a way to care for the homeless without damaging
the Oread neighborhood.
Neighborhood association treasurer Janet Gerstner works with the city's homeless as a volunteer. Both positions give her a good perspective of the argument's two sides, she said.
"I care about services for the homeless, but I care just as passionately about the neighborhood," Gerstner said.
As homeless services in Oread, such as the Community Drop In Center, 214 W. 10th St., and the kitchen at First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St., have increased, it has become increasingly difficult for the neighborhood to support, she said.
"We need to find an appropriate location for a shelter that offers adequate services, and this really isn't the place and doesn't offer enough services." Gerstner said.
The open shelter is near two preschools, a busy street, businesses and homes, all of which concerned the shelter's opponents. In addition, landlords such as Peter Zacharias and Phillip Hemphill voiced concerns about damage to their rental properties and the safety of their tenants.
Members of Lawrence Open Shelter Inc. understood those
concerns and worked with the planning commission to reduce the length of its use permit from five years to one, said Liz Smith, biological sciences graduate student, who worked with the shelter.
"We're confident that it won't bring more problems to the community but will ultimately do the opposite," said Smith.
Smith said the shelter was planning to open by mid-April. The city commissioners agreed to review the shelter's use permit again in a year.
Edited by Julie Jantzer
Lord Wads
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Overland Park senior, and Foertsch, Lenexa senior, from running in the student body presidential and vice presidential elections. The two came up short on signatures for their petition to put their names on the ballot.
With already sunburnt faces from a long day of jousting, the two reddened a few more shades in frustration.
"I come in here and try to do some good for KU, and then they try to strike me down," Wadsworth said.
Presidential and vice presidential candidates must have 500 student signatures on their petition to be on the election ballot. Wadsworth and Foertsch collected 502 signatures with minutes to spare upon the deadline to turn in the petition.
The commission reported that 128 of their signatures were invalid, meaning either those students weren't enrolled, some signatures were duplicates or the
KUIDs didn't exist.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
"None of the commission wants to discourage anyone from running, but there are still rules to follow," Courtney Wachal, elections commissioner, said.
When the commission delivered the blow to the candidates, Foertsch could see his running mate's ears turn red. Foertsch came to his friend and said, "Don't blow your top. I found the loophole."
Foertsch found in the elections code that a coalition may have four days to resubmit a petition for new candidates if the presidential or vice presidential candidate is disqualified. Wadsworth and Foertsch will swap positions with Foertsch running as a presidential candidate, which satisfies the code's wording of finding new candidates. Foertsch will now have to get 500 student signatures on his petition to be put on the ballot.
Brett Wadsworth, Overland Park junior, jousts on the lawn of Strong Hall with Peter Thornhill, Mission Hills freshman. Wadsworth said yesterday that he and his running mate, Andy Foortsch, Lenexa senior, would be switching positions for candidacy for student body president and vice president under the Lord Wads and the 12 Knights of the Crusade coalition.
Wachal interpreted that the code allows the swap because she said the roles of president and vice president were different.
"I really want this third party in the elections because they're bringing diversity, getting a lot of press coverage and attention from campus," Wachal said. "I'm pleased that Lord Wads has the opportunity to get the signatures."
The running mates said they thought this was the first victory in their crusade.
"This minor setback will only strengthen our resolve," Wadsworth said.
— Edited by Melissa Hermreck
Video
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
war films, said Doug Redding. Liberty Hall Video assistant manager.
Blockbuster Video, 1516 W. 23rd St., hasn't reported an increase in sales or a change in the types of movies being rented, said shift manager Mamie Schutte, Pretty Prairie sophomore.
Students such as Rashawn Slinkard, Garden City senior and Brandon Cobb, Kansas City, Kan., senior, would rather watch the coverage of
war on television than be distracted by movies. Slinkard and Cobb are a self-proclaimed "news junkies."
"I stayed up until 4 or 5 in morning the night the war started." Cobb said.
Only once since the war has started has Cobb gotten tired of coverage and turned on entertainment such as MTV for a couple of hours, he said.
"This is our reality right now," Slinkard said. "It's far more interesting than watching any movie."
Bill to ban Sunday liquor sales endorsed
TOPEKA—AHouse committee has endorsed a bill to ban Sunday sales of packaged liquor statewide, a move intended to close what a court said is a loophole in the state's existing prohibition.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee voted 12-9
tuesday to send the bill to the full House, after rejecting a proposal to let local governments legalize Sunday sales if voters approved.
The bill would also make sales of packaged alcohol legal in cities and counties unless their governing bodies prohibit such sales.
The Associated Press