The city’s first public meeting for an outdoor sleeping center it is opening in midtown did little to quell frustration from neighbors who’ve complained they had no input on the project.
Announced by city officials in late August, STAR Village is a pilot program to open an overnight campsite on city-owned land along East Grant Road near North Stone Avenue in the Sugar Hill neighborhood. It is expected to open next month.
A few dozen audience members break into chants as they seek to stop the development of STAR Village, an outdoor safe-sleeping site set to open next month.
More than 150 people packed the Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center Wednesday night for a meeting hosted by city officials and representatives from the Primavera Foundation and Old Pueblo Community Services that became more tense as the night wore on.
A major sticking point for neighbors has been a lack of engagement from the city before the project was announced. The city made it clear at Wednesday’s meeting the project is moving forward.
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April Putney shows her support for the establishment of the Star Village project. Supporters of the project were outnumbered Wednesday night by critics.
“The model is determined, and we are moving forward,†assistant city manager Liz Morales said, before adding, “We want to continue to hear from the neighborhood.†That drew a critical reaction from the crowd.
“There are places (to go) for input, still in the design of this project. Now, they’re not in-terms of whether or not the project is going to happen, it is going to happen,†said Tisha Tallman, CEO of Primavera Foundation. “How it happens is still under development, and (the city is) inviting the neighborhoods in to help with security and all other issues.â€
Officials emphasized that the site is a pilot project and that STAR Village won’t accept walk-ins. Local organizations will make referrals for the site and people will first have to go through a pre-screening process for they can stay there.
Ward 3 council member Kevin Dahl acknowledged that many residents are frustrated with the lack of information they received before the city announced a safe-sleeping site near Sugar Hill. Still, he said he thinks the project will be a success.
“(STAR Village) is an emergency stop-gap measure to address those who are struggling, which are women in our communities,†Tallman said. “Women have to stay up at night if they’re unhoused, wandering the streets. They are the most vulnerable in our communities, and we are addressing it through a safe sleeping space.â€
“We can bring people in, or we can exclude them. Let’s bring them in,†she said.
Tents, cots, fresh linens and storage will be offered for those staying. Security will be on-site around-the-clock and STAR Village will offer shading, a climate-controlled “cooltainer†for those connecting with services during the day and a curfew with quiet hours will be set overnight, Tallman said.
The overall budget for the one-year project is $450,000, Morales said, with funding coming from the discretionary funding the mayor’s office and the ward offices receive each year, as well as donations.
Staff tapes a copy of the ground rules for a meeting Wednesday night on STAR Village.
STAR Village, short for Serving Together and Rebuilding, will offer outdoor sleeping space for 25 women and non-binary people overnight on a parcel of vacant land off Grant Road and try connect people sleeping there to to resources and services during the day.
The goal, the city says, is ultimately to move people into permanent housing.
While the project was touted by elected officials and the local nonprofits, it also has stirred opposition from neighbors. Lindsey and Derek Dooley, who own a business in the area, started an opposing the campsite. As of Thursday morning it had more than 850 signatures.
Councilman Kevin Dahl, who represents the area, acknowledged the level of frustration, saying of the criticism, “it’s great they got to do it in the end.â€
Dahl previously said if STAR Village creates more problems than it alleviates, he will ask the city to remove it from the area. He said Thursday night he felt confident that wasn’t going to happen.
“There’s going to be a lot of monitoring, a lot of evaluation, and it’s a pilot (so the city) can close it down,†he said. “The rollout hasn’t created problems for residents. It’s created confusion, lack of knowledge, and people are upset, and legitimately upset . . . The team that’s doing the STAR Village camp has offered to go to neighborhood meetings. I think a smaller setting, for the people who have shared concerns, would be the place for that dialogue.â€
In addition to the lack of meaningful input, residents have complained that the project was “stuck†in the area.
City officials say the site was selected because it’s a central location and close to transit lines.
When asked why should “historically neglected and intentionally redlined communities like Sugar Hill shoulder new social responsibility like STAR Village,†Morales drew the ire of some attendees when she said, “This, to us, is an investment into the community.â€
“We continue to have our propositions and our bond programs that are bringing those resources to the neighborhoods in Ward 3,†Morales said. “This mayor and council has been very much, such champions to make sure we’re reinvesting that in those neighborhoods that have been redlined, that have been historically disinvested.â€
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