Southwest Lawton residents oppose plan for homeless teen dorm

Some residents in Southwest Lawton’s Country Club Heights Addition don’t like the idea of a dormitory for homeless boys opening in their former school.

Residents had questions as members of the City Planning Commission took action that, pending City Council approval, would allow a dormitory-style shelter to be built in the gymnasium at the old County Club Heights Elementary on Southwest 45th Street, now home to MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center. Conceptual designs show the conversation provides enough space to house 10 to 12 boys ages 13 to 17, providing permanent shelter to some teens who already use MIGHT’s support programs, said MIGHT CEO Bernita Taylor.

The building still carries a P-F Public Facility District zoning and youth housing falls under uses that could be allowed there with city approval. Commissioners ultimately agreed to send their recommendation for approval to the council, but only with specific conditions after hearing from residents upset they didn’t know about the plans until the City of Lawton sent notices to property owners about rezoning action.

Residents have been circulating a petition of opposition for the project and that document with 47 signatures was submitted to the City of Lawton. Resident Leon Reynolds asked why the petition wasn’t included in the CPC agenda packet, adding it illustrates the amount of residential opposition (city officials said confusion is why the petition wasn’t presented to CPC members until Thursday’s meeting).

“We are against this,” Reynolds said, adding while not every signature on the petition represents an owner within 300 feet of the building, they all agree they don’t want the facility.

Reynolds said his fear is the dormitory will add vehicular traffic, which in turn will worsen the problem residents already have with drivers speeding on Southwest 45th Street.

“Traffic is crazy,” he said, adding actions he took to slow traffic — putting out traffic cones — were rebuffed by city police. “We already can’t get help as it is, and you want to add more traffic.”

LeAnn Enderle said while she doesn’t live in the neighborhood, she has rental property directly across from the former school. She said the mailbox there has been damaged multiple times by drivers who come and go from what she assumes is a church with related activities.

“We don’t feel this would be a good place,” Enderle said, later adding she is worried about what appears to be a detention facility because of explanations that youths would be under supervision around the clock.”That’s why the petition is going around. There is a lot of opposition.”

One mother said that as the parent of a teen, she knows there isn’t any teenager “that wants to be locked up 24/7.” She said one of her concerns is those teens will go to school, then opt to walk home and walk through the neighborhood, meaning they won’t be under constant surveillance.

Taylor said MIGHT has been using the former school since 2011 with minimal issues, and already is bringing in youths from all three high schools for programs. She said this new program is moving forward because a $550,000 grant from the McMahon Foundation will cover the cost of creating what will be Lawton’s first housing facility for homeless teen males. She said protective measures will include security cameras and staffing that will keep residential monitors on site around the clock. Participants will be screened before being admitted, and no one with a violent record will be accepted.

“They are boys, not vagrants. They are boys who need a place,” Taylor said, adding the goal is to address the fact Lawton Public Schools has an estimated 1,000 homeless youths in their district. “We are trying to help 10 to 12 of them.”

The Rev. John Dunaway, who works with MIGHT, said he strongly supports the program, saying the community has a problem with homelessness.

“This is a way to serve the homeless population,” he said.

CPC Commission member Deborah Jones said the problem seems to be that MIGHT hasn’t done a good job telling the neighborhood what is going on or explaining what the agency already is doing for youths. She suggested MIGHT may want to meet with residents to answer questions, something Taylor said she is ready to do.

Commissioner Allan Smith addressed residential concerns about speeding, counseling Reynolds to meet with City of Lawton officials about getting a speed table installed on Southwest 45 Street. Commissioners made that device — a traffic control measure that uses a raised table to slow vehicular speeds to 25 mph or less — a condition of their approval, along with directives to install fencing and ensure there is sufficient parking for all activities.