Boulder Hill residents question proposed homeless shelter near elementary school
(The Center Square) – Residents in the Boulder Hill area are questioning the proposed location, security plans and public process surrounding an overnight shelter for people experiencing homelessness that could open this winter next to an elementary school.
Oswegoland Community House is proposing to operate the overnight warming shelter at the Neighborhood Church of the Brethren, 155 Boulder Hill Pass in Montgomery. The church is directly adjacent to Boulder Hill Elementary School, which is part of Oswego Community Unit School District 308.
The shelter is proposed to operate on nights when temperatures fall to 32 degrees or colder. People staying there would have access to food, health care, mental health services, housing resources and other assistance.
Residents organized as Boulder Hill Voices have opposed the location while saying they support efforts to help people experiencing homelessness.
“The importance of helping people experiencing homelessness” is recognized, a member of Boulder Hill Voices, Lisa Cook, told The Center Square. “But at the same time residents want to understand how this particular location was selected and what safeguards would be in place.”
Cook said residents’ concerns center in part on the proximity to the elementary school and questions about how shelter operations would interact with school activities.
Boulder Hill Elementary operates from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the school district.
District 308 Chief Communications Officer Theresa Komitas told CBS Chicago that the shelter would begin operating after school and its after-school program had ended, with people staying at the shelter leaving before students arrived the following morning.
Cook said residents are seeking additional details about the hours and security arrangements.
“Part of the question was they had helped to open Aurora overnight warming shelter and because it was, Aurora was part of that, they had given them funding and they had trained security,” Cook said. “With this model that they’re opening here, the PADS model was like one night a week.”
Cook said she has questioned why trained security was used at the Aurora shelter and what circumstances required law enforcement involvement there, particularly because the proposed Boulder Hill operation is expected to rely on volunteers.
“We want to understand why, what was the criteria that was used when you chose this location,” Cook said.
According to Cook, the shelter initially was described as serving about 20 people, with the potential to eventually accommodate as many as 40. She also said residents have questions about transportation because people would be brought to the facility from other locations.
The Center Square contacted Oswegoland Community House for comment on the proposed shelter, including questions about the location, planned operations, security and potential alternative sites. The organization did not immediately respond.
Oswegoland Community House said it is reconsidering the shelter model and exploring additional locations and partnerships amid neighborhood concerns. In a recent social media update, OCH said it is “listening to the community” while seeking a solution that addresses the need for shelter and food while also addressing safety concerns.
“We’re listening to the community to find alternate models that meet our criteria, fill the needs and address all safety concerns,” OCH said.
Oswego Township said Aug. 24 was when township officials were first made aware of plans for an overnight warming shelter and food pantry at the church. The township said it does not have jurisdiction over the matter and that Kendall County Planning, Building and Zoning and the Oswego Fire Protection District are handling zoning and permitting questions.
The township’s statement also said a Sept. 24 public meeting was announced by Oswegoland Community House.
Cook said residents felt they learned about the proposal too late and that many people in the neighborhood still may not know about it.
“At the point when we found out it was, the proposal was that they would be opening in November,” Cook said. “So, from the residents that I spoke with as well as how I felt, it was a done deal regardless of what we had to say.”
A petition opposing the location had about 283 signatures when it was submitted to Kendall County, Cook said, and has since grown to roughly 550 signatures.
Boulder Hill Voices’ public fundraising page similarly describes the group’s position as opposition to the proposed location rather than opposition to helping people experiencing homelessness. The group says the proposed church site is adjacent to the elementary school and within a residential neighborhood.
Cook said residents have suggested alternatives, including using the Oswego Senior Center, which already serves as a daytime warming center. The village of Oswego lists the Oswego Senior Center among local warming-center resources, although its publicly listed hours are daytime hours.
“We’ve even made suggestions of different buildings,” Cook said. “So, the Oswego Senior Center … currently has a daytime warming shelter. So not just myself, many residents have said, well why don’t you add in a nighttime warming shelter?”
Cook said residents ultimately want the shelter relocated, but if it remains at the church, they want more information about how it will operate.
“At this point, we would like it relocated,” Cook said. “But … if it does go through, they don’t relocate, at least I want to know the details.”
The location has also drawn attention from residents concerned about property values and potential taxpayer costs, although Cook acknowledged those effects are not certain.
“I think our tax is going to go up because then there’ll be more funding for the shelter,” Cook said. “And in addition of, ‘well then if I want to sell … will it sell for the same value when someone knows that it’s a shelter across the street?’”
Those potential financial effects have not been established because of the proposal. The township has said it does not have jurisdiction over the project, while county planning and the fire protection district are responsible for the applicable zoning and safety issues.
Public reporting indicates the shelter proposal remains under discussion following strong opposition at an earlier community meeting, with other potential locations reportedly being considered.
For Cook, the dispute is ultimately about the location and the process rather than whether people experiencing homelessness should receive help.
“We’re not against the mission, just the location,” Cook said.
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