subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Sat, Sep 06 2008 

Published August 01, 2008 10:56 pm - Four or five days of sleeping outside is all Kahn McLeod said he expects to be able to handle, now that the shelter operation of City of Refuge is closing down.

Homeless to sleep outside of former warehouse



By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

Four or five days of sleeping outside is all Kahn McLeod said he expects to be able to handle, now that the shelter operation of City of Refuge is closing down.

McLeod is one of about 30 homeless people who have been staying at the converted cold-storage warehouse at 502 E. Seventh St.

Dan Anderson, the pastor at City of Refuge, suggested he will try to make a statement in hopes of bringing public pressure to bear upon the City Council to change the rules prohibiting the use of the building for sleeping quarters, or prompting a church or organization to offer his operation at least temporary quarters.

Anderson said he plans to sleep outside for the time being, and that he plans to ask the City Council to reconsider a request to rezone the property to accommodate an overnight-shelter operation.

The Globe was unable to ascertain Friday night whether any attempt had been made to find other temporary accommodations for the 30 people staying at the shelter.

“At this point in time, we don’t have anyplace else to go,” Anderson said Friday, the city-imposed deadline for the shelter services. “Outside of a church or somebody offering a facility for us temporarily, we’ll be right out front there.”

City officials and Anderson both say that the building will remain open, and services such as a food pantry, kitchen, bathroom and church will continue to be offered. What is prohibited by city ordinances is the use of the building for sleeping quarters.

“Our desire is a reconsideration of the rezoning of this facility,” Anderson said. “We’ve already had work done to it. And we’ve got people who are ready to do more work on it.”

During an interview at City of Refuge on Friday, he indicated that he had made inquiries into other permanent locations for his overall operation, but none fit the needs or the budget of his organization.

The City Council voted 5-3 in March to deny a change in zoning that would have allowed City of Refuge to try to convert its leased quarters in the old warehouse into a shelter. The building was cited in January for numerous fire, health and zoning violations. Anderson’s effort to obtain a variance to the zoning regulations met with opposition from nearby businesses.

But the council granted Anderson an extension to continue offering shelter services in the old warehouse until Aug. 1.

“They are not to shelter people anymore,” said City Attorney Brian Head. “They can still have the kitchen and church and such.”

Head said city officials are concerned that the building-code violations pose a risk to the safety of those staying there.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story





monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Get Our Free Pod Cast!

32 buy 1 get 1 free offers


Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!
Featured Jobs

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
for First Christian Church in Pittsburg, Kansas. Emphasis in vocal direction, organ and piano skills desirable. Send Res...>MORE

PRIVATE TUTOR
needed for 12 year old boy. Work in our home. 35 hours per week. 417-291-5419....>MORE

MANAGER HOUSEKEEPT AND FRONT DESK
Apply at Hallmark Inn, 3600 Range Line....>MORE

NEEDED WELDER/MILLWRIGHT
2 years experience in mig, tig and arc welding required. Excellent benefits including health, dental, 401k, compensation...>MORE

DIESEL TRUCK MECHANIC
DIESEL TRUCK mechanic, for general service, brakes, minor repairs, must have own tools, competitive pay. Joplin area. Mo...>MORE

OPIES TRANSPORT
Hiring Over the Road Drivers
No HazMat, No NYC
800-341-9963
www.opiestransport.com
...>MORE

ADULT VIDEO STORE CLERKS
ADULT VIDEO STORE. Clerks $6.65/hour and up. (417)206-2068....>MORE

24 HOUR COMPANIONS FOR SENIORS
24 HOUR COMPANIONS for seniors in their homes. Must be able to work 2-3 days a week. CNA helpful but not necessary. Must...>MORE

SAVE LIVES
SAVE LIVES, Local fire safety company now interviewing for Safety Analyst, complete training provided. $2100 month guara...>MORE

AUTO INSURANCE EXPRESS
seeks licensed producers and Customer Service Representatives. Apply in person at 817 Maiden Lane or PO Box 3973, Joplin...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

GMC 1984 F15
(like S-10) short bed, V-6 automatic, red, no rust, runs great, new tires, make offer. (417)439-2408...>MORE

TOYOTA 2005 CAMRY LE
TOYOTA, 2005 Camry LE, great car, must sell for pay off. $10,511. (417)629-6040...>MORE

MITSUBISHI 1998 3000 GT
MITSUBISHI, 1998 3000GT, pearl white, tan leather interior, $5,250, sharp car. (620)249-4969....>MORE

1993 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS
$1,900. (417)782-0272....>MORE

CHEVROLET 1998 CAVALIER
4 door, local 1 owner, low miles, LS, fully equipped, bright blue. 417-438-3649....>MORE

VOLKSWAGEN 1974 BEETLE
VOLKSWAGEN, 1974 Beetle, project, best offer. (417)782-3612....>MORE

PONTIAC 2002 BONNEVILLE
PONTIAC, 2002 Bonneville SSEI, maroon, loaded, 77,000 miles, good condition, runs/drives good, $9500. (417)667-5829....>MORE

DODGE 1998 AVENGER
Sport Coupe, V6, red, automatic, cold air, bucket seats, tilt, cruise, nice car, $2550. 417-385-7123....>MORE

GMC 2003 SONOMA
30 MPG 2 wheel drive, 5 speed, 64,000 miles, 30 mpg, bed liner/cover, below book, $6,000 motivated seller. 417-291-1733....>MORE

1997 DODGE RAM
3/4 ton cargo van, white, custom built shelves, good condition, 147,000 miles, $2500. 417-317-0603....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

16x80 3 BR, 2 BA
16x80 3 br, 2 ba, vinyl/shingle, patio door, raised kitchen, large garden tub, Deliver/anchored. $21,900. 417-869-5144...>MORE

OPEN SUNDAY 2 P.M.-4 P.M.
OPEN SUNDAY 2 P.M.-4 P.M., 2707 N. Ozark (North of Zora), large single story home with full finished walkout basement, a...>MORE

COMPLETELY REMODELED HOUSE
332 S. Ball, Webb City, accessible to Joplin and near 171 Highway. 1450 sq. ft. with 3 br, 2 ba, new appliances, central...>MORE

IRON GATES
IRON GATES, 5+ building lots west of 23rd and Iron Gates Road. Selling as package. $27,500. 417-483-7883....>MORE

INVESTMENT PROPERTY
1, 2, and 3 Bedroom houses, also vacant lots, all in Baxter Springs, KS. (620)856-3565....>MORE

3 BR, 2 BA, WEBB CITY
3 BR, 2 ba, nice Webb City area, central air, garage, deck, hot tub, $640 month. 417-396-1781....>MORE

JOPLIN/WEBB CITY HOMES
2-4 BR’s, Joplin/Webb City, good locations, financing, $400-$650. 624-3931....>MORE

OPEN SUNDAY 9/7
OPEN Sunday 9/7 1:30-4:30 pm Completely REMODELED 512 Porter $64,900 Zero down to qualified buyers. 623-8166....>MORE

3 BR, 2 BA 324 N. HARLEM
3 BR, 2 BA, 2 living rooms, very nice brick house, $78,900. Open Sunday 2-4. 324 N. Harlem, (417)499-6729...>MORE

BEAUTIFUL, 8 YEAR OLD HOME
Beautiful 2035 sq. ft home, approximately 8 years old on corner lot in great neighborhood. 3-4 BR, bonus room, 2 full BA...>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

FULL SIZE WHITE IRON/BRASS
Full size white iron/brass bed, like new mattress set, all bedding, window coverings in black/white TOILE, pictures, dec...>MORE

BULL MASTIFFS, AKC
BULL MASTIFFS, AKC, 10 weeks old, fawn, males, $500 each. (417)624-8195, 417-385-7691....>MORE

GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPIES
German SHEPHERD PUPPIES, AKC, Creekview bloodline, dad is level 2 personal protection dog, males and females, black/tan,...>MORE

ROLLTOP DESK
New rolltop desk and chair, yard ornaments, antique glider, hand made Indian prayer rugs, other items. (417)781-2961...>MORE

HOT TUB 2008
60 actual water jets, 12 h.p., stereo package, LED mood lighting, therapy seat, full manufacturers warranty, cost $9,600...>MORE

SHIH-TZU 'S
SHIH-TZU’s, males $80, females $135; toy poodle, male, parti red/white, $100. Health record current. Cash (417)622-1685...>MORE

COCKATOO BIRD
Cockatoo bird, talks, does tricks, $500 with cage; additional large cage, $25; (417)626-7408...>MORE

ROCKWOOD 2003 TRAILER
Rockwood, 2003, air, heat, stove, microwave, sway bar set up, $7500. 623-7405...>MORE

KIMBALL PIANO
KIMBALL PIANO; oak craft wood; miscellaneous furniture. (417)624-8218....>MORE

DARK OAK DINING TABLE
Dark oak dining table with 4 chairs, $200; blonde entertainment center, $40. (417)237-0765...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

Find A Home Find A Car