Parkdale/Lawnview Association of Neighbors Start Petition Against Timberlawn as a Homeless Shelter
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That was fast. Today’s Dallas City Council meeting was focused on the four track homelessness briefing, and there was a lot of discussion, explaining, even arguing over it all, especially Track II: moving the homeless to recreation centers across Dallas on a temporary basis. Almost every city council member was vehemently against Track II, with the exception of Mark Clayton and maybe Ricky Callahan. When Adam Medrano brought up an idea that had been suggested by Lee Kleinman back in February, having the city buy Timberlawn psychiatric hospital and use as a homeless shelter central, Councilman for District 7, Kevin Felder, was livid.
And now a Change.org petition has been started, almost 30 votes last time I looked. Here’s what it says:
We as citizens of Dallas are adamantly opposed to the proposed initiative to utilize the site formerly known as Timberlawn, as a large, permanent public facility for the homeless.
We stand united and demand that our elected officials, the Dallas City Council members, hear our voices, utilize our tax dollars to better our neighborhood and our city, and act accordingly to best service us all in pursuit of our desire to be safe, effective members in our shared city of Dallas
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Candy, it’s now over 220 and growing fast. Parkdale is my neighborhood…
Yep, that was at about 4 a.m. Tell us what you think!
239 people as or 11 AM. No other neighborhood wanted this in temporary rec facility housing on a small scale and now it’s getting passed on and dismissed to our neighborhood. I started this petition and we won’t be silenced until our voices are really heard.
And by the way, your husband was my OB, Candy. I’m not raising my babies yards from the city’s largest homeless population.
Mehrdad Moayedi — who successfully restored the landmark Statler Hotel — has made an offer to buy the vacant Dawson State Jail on the banks of the Trinity River. Mehrdad wants to convert the empty 10-story building into a housing and services center for Dallas’ homeless population. “This is an opportunity to do something for these people, but not in the traditional way where you have a warehouse and you put a lot of beds in there,” Moayedi said. “There has to be a situation where people are treated with respect.”
The 23-year-old jail on West Commerce Street near Riverfront Boulevard has been empty for years and has been put up for sale by the state. Because the building has almost no parking, developers haven’t been able to come up with a plan to convert the building into apartments, offices or other uses. He’s offered the state more than $3 million to buy the property.
“It will take about $10 million to remodel it to get it to the point we need it,” Moayedi said. “I want to do it privately without any help from the government. We are going to work with faith-based organizations to try and get this done.”
He said the facility could house up to 1,000 people with facilities for medical, mental health and job counseling services.
Larry James, the chief executive with Dallas’ CitySquare, said Dallas needs a comprehensive housing policy. “We need people in housing not shelters, long-term,” said James, who called Moayedi’s plans for the Dawson jail “an interesting project.”
“He’s done some impressive stuff and is capable of delivering,” James said.
Moayedi’s Centurion American is one of the largest residential community developers in North Texas.
(https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2018/02/12/could-old-dallas-jail-reborn-new-homeless-services-center)
Is the city seeking short-term solutions? Becuase what Mehrdad proposes is a long-term investment in a serious and highly visible problem for the homeless people and the citizens of Dallas.
What the homeless person needs first and foremost is housing immediately. Shelters are so overwhelmed and to get into any type housing from shelter programs can take over a year. Dallas can remedy and perhaps even solve this problem if all of the great visionary minds, deep pockets, and compassionate people that call Dallas their home come together to make this project happen! I think this project should be moved to the front burner and jumped all over to make it happen. And, fast.
Why don’t we put the homeless shelter next door to your house, Lindsey? You speak ignorantly without understanding the full situational context. The hospital is next door to a new housing subdivision, which is next to a quiet older subdivision. A shelter will bring tons of traffic, increase neighborhood crime, and immediately reduce property values. So, one’s property investment will be lost.
A new shelter is certainly a good idea. How about in a non-residential area?
If you are against having a shelter next door to your new home like me, you should voice your concern to your city council person. This is Kevin Felder, City Council District 7. His email is: [email protected]. You can also email Mayor Mike Rawlings directly from the city hall website.
I’m all for creative homeless solutions; in commercial or industrial areas, not residential. The vote is on 8/22, so communication needs to happen now.