The City of Wilmington currently classifies a homeless day shelter as a "community center," the same category as a YMCA or Boys and Girls Club. Because of that, Living Hope Day Center can move into 19 S. 10th Street, at 10th and Dock, by right, with no public hearing and no review of whether the location is appropriate.

City staff have acknowledged that the "community center" category doesn't fit a day shelter and are preparing Land Development Code amendments for the Planning Commission's October meeting.

We, the undersigned residents, parents, and property owners, ask the Wilmington Planning Commission and City Council to:

Create a separate use category for day shelters in the Land Development Code, distinct from community centers.
Require a special use permit and a public hearing for day shelters, so neighbors, schools, and businesses can weigh in on each location.
Adopt location standards, including minimum separation distances from schools, daycares, and playgrounds.
Require a written operations and security plan before any day shelter opens.
Apply these standards to the proposed facility at 19 S. 10th Street.

This location sits in a historic residential neighborhood within blocks of several schools and a daycare. We recognize the real need for homeless services in Wilmington and support finding a solution. That solution should come from a transparent public process that considers the safety of children and the character of established neighborhoods, not from a zoning category that was never designed for this use.

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