Lawton City Council approves zoning plan for homeless youth housing

Part of the old Country Club Heights Elementary in southwest Lawton will become dormitory-style housing for homeless teenage males.

Members of the City Council cleared away the final hurdle Tuesday, approving a Use Permitted on Review request that will allow conversion of the 1,100-square-foot gymnasium to housing for 10 to 12 male youth, ages 13-18. Those youth are part of a growing homeless population of city residents under the age of 18, and supporters say their dorm space is giving housing to only a small fraction of the estimated 1,000 youth that Lawton Public Schools said do not have permanent homes. The youth range from those who are “couch surfing” at friends’ homes to those without a place to stay each night.

The proposed dormitory isn’t without critics. Many residents in the surrounding neighborhood oppose to the plan, saying while they sympathize with homeless youth, they have questions that haven’t been answered about the facility and those who will be housed there.

The dormitory space is a project of MIGHT Community Development and Resource Center, and MIGHT CEO Bernita Taylor said the center already is using the space and already providing services to teens from every secondary school in Lawton, without any problems.

“We have never had police come to our facility,” Taylor said, addressing concerns from neighbors who have questions about the youth who will live there and what problems they may bring to the neighborhood.

Taylor said that, bottom line, MIGHT is trying to help just a fraction of Lawton Public Schools’ homeless students. She said those youth aren’t troubled; they merely are without permanent housing for some reason and MIGHT’s goal is to “give them a safe place to thrive,” not cause a problem for the neighborhood.

James Taylor, a high school teacher for 17 years, said just because a child is homeless doesn’t mean he/she is violent. Taylor also said Lawton has a problem with homeless youth.

“Lawton children need a place to stay,” he said.

Residents – many who signed a petition of opposition – said they don’t disagree. But, they want to know why the old school in their neighborhood was chosen and some say they are frustrated by the fact they can’t get answers to all their questions.

Leon Reynolds, who lives next to the school, said more people in the neighborhood should have been part of the notification process used when the zoning application came before the City Planning Commission for discussion and action. The law specifies property owners within 300 feet of a zoning/rezoning application must be notified, but Reynolds said the issue is one that affects the entire neighborhood.

“We are in fear of what will come next,” Reynolds said of possible future plans, adding residents don’t have enough information on what is being done.

Reynolds said he had to struggle to buy his home, and he is protective of the house and those who live there, as well as the supplies he stores there for his business (he plans to build a fence for protection). Reynolds also repeated an argument he has made to the planning commission: there are numerous vacant structures around Lawton that could easily be converted for use a dormitory, for the $550,000 that will be spent to convert the school gym (McMahon Foundation awarded the funding to MIGHT to fund the project).

“Nobody who actually lives in this neighborhood is speaking positively of this,” Reynolds said.

LeAnn Enderle, who owns rental property across from the school, also highlighted one action city officials already have taken in response to residential opposition: a speed table placed on Southwest 45th Street in front of the school. Residents have said speeding traffic already is a problem on Southwest 45th Street and they fear the addition of more traffic from the old school will make it worse.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Linda Chapman coordinated action with city streets officials to install a speed table in front of the school, but Enderle said that table is in the wrong place to make much of an impact on speeders.

City planner Kameron Good said council approval is contingent upon installation of a new sidewalk that will meet handicap accessibility requirements. The planning commission agreed that an existing 6-foot-tall fence already around the school’s gymnasium meets city code fencing requirements.

Council members approved the Use Permitted on Review on a 7-1 vote, with the only “no” cast by Ward 7 Councilwoman Sherene L. Williams. Williams said while she is sympathetic to homeless youth, she also is concerned about residential opposition to the proposal and had wanted to table action so other options could be explored.