The Department of Planning and Development will be hosting a public meeting this evening for the proposed Urban Rest Stop that is set to be constructed on the ground-floor of the Low Income Housing Institute’s (LIHI) Cheryl Chou Court (2014 NW 57th St).
Locals will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns during the meeting that will be held from 7 p.m. at Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Avenue NW).
The proposed Urban Rest Stop would be the third to open in Seattle, with the two other locations being Downtown and in the U-District.
Similarly to the other locations, the Ballard rest stop would provide free showers, bathrooms, and laundry facilities for men, women and children in the local homeless community.
While some locals support the opening of the rest stop, the proposal has raised concerns because of its central location in the neighborhood.
Despite the opposition, it is clear, however, that the Urban Rest Stops in the other Seattle locations have made a significant impact on members of the homeless community.
“The Urban Rest Stop has allowed me to clean up in order to help me get employment. More services of this type would enhance others’ chances to better themselves,” says Urban Rest Stop user Y.J.
According to the DPD, the project in Ballard needs the following approvals:
- Administrative Conditional Use to allow community center in a midrise zone within 600 ft. of an existing institution (Ballard Branch of Seattle Public Library).
- Administrative Conditional Use to allow an institution in a midrise zone that does not meeting parking requirements.
A copy of the plans for the project, along with other application materials are available at the DPD Public Resource Center (700 5th Avenue, Ste 2000) The center is open until 4:00 p.m. today.
Click here to check out some of the information from the DPD online.