The Manitowoc Warming Shelter is interested in purchasing a building from St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
According to documents from the parish, Pastor Matt Sauer of the Neighborhood has submitted a conditional use permit application to the Manitowoc Plan Commission for a permanent warming shelter on 8th Street, which is currently the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Office.
Sauer tells Seehafernews.com that the group has been searching for a permanent location near downtown.
“It makes a lot of sense,” he noted. “It’s less than 300 yards away from where we’ve been operating the last three years. It’s right there in the same community, and again, we’ve talked to adjacent property owners, and they are supportive.”
Before making any purchase, the parish office building will be listed for any group or business to make an offer.
Sauer also explains that the Plan Commission must pass the Conditional Use Permit after a public hearing.
He described, “And then they forward that to the city council, which would, if all things are working, they would then have that on their agenda and their September meeting, which again would have another public hearing opportunity for folks.”
Staff at the parish will be relocating in the future, as they are building a new office complex and community gathering space on the site of the former St. Andrew’s School.
According to the Manitowoc Warming Shelter, they will move the shelter to a temporary location because emergency use regulations from the state are only available for one year.
Parish Business Manager Deacon Mark LeGreve says there’s a separate CUP for that.
“Across the street, technically where Lakeshore CAP is, in that building, is where the Conditional Use Permit is being applied for this fall,” he stated. “There’s temporary approval for the shelter, which is Lakeshore CAP, coming up this year, potentially. And then the long-term home, which would be our St. Francis of Assisi Parish Office.”
The Manitowoc Plan Commission meeting is scheduled to meet on August 27th at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers.
The agenda has not been posted.
