Future of warming center intake facility uncertain – Chico Enterprise-Record

CHICO — With the threat of shutdown looming and few places to go, the future of Safe Space’s intake process for warming centers is uncertain.

The organization, which is contracted by the city to manage cooling and warming centers, was hit with a notice of code violation Tuesday evening for operating an intake center out of the former 7-Eleven building in downtown Chico. According to the notice, the city claims that Safe Space did not go through the proper channels before operating at the location. City Manager Mark Sorensen said the organization was supposed to get the OK from the zoning administrator to confirm that the operation met the temporary use code without the need for a permit.

“The zoning administrator made no such findings as Safe Space failed to consult the zoning administrator,” Sorensen said. “Further, we’ve heard plenty of very very firm opinions from downtown property owners, downtown business owners and others that the Safe Space activities are not compatible with the zoning district and surrounding land uses.”

Safe Space Executive Director Hilary Crosby went to the Chico Municipal Building on Wednesday to pay the fee and work out any issues still standing.

“Our goal is to keep it compliant,” Crosby said. “We don’t want to be antagonistic.”

Crosby said she turned in the required information to be looked at for approval but said she wasn’t given any immediate answer. As of 6 p.m., Wednesday, it seems the only thing the organization can do is wait and try to operate as best it can.

City Councilor Addison Winslow said he was both surprised and disappointed when he found out about the city shutting down the operation.

“Safe Space is legitimately providing emergency services on a temporary basis,” Winslow said. “Their activities are very simple — you or I don’t ‘consult the zoning administrator’ to rendezvous with friends for a baseball game. The difference here is these people are homeless and they are going to a church for refuge overnight. If the city were to grant Safe Space the same patience, grace and gentleness we give routinely to nuisance landlords on the same block of downtown, we could all relax and enjoy the holidays.”

Winslow said he’s been working with those involved on both the city and Safe Space’s end to come up with a solution.

“I have been doing my best to mediate a resolution that does not leave dozens of our neighbors sleeping outside over Christmas, but it does not appear promising,” Winslow said.

Chico Mayor Andrew Coolidge, though not in favor of the location being used as an intake center, acknowledged the complexity of the situation as Safe Space is under contract with the city to help provide services to the homeless.