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Council grants specific-use permit for nonprofit child shelter at 809 West Nash amid neighborhood questions
Summary
The council approved a specific-use permit allowing a nonprofit emergency shelter for children at 809 West Nash Street after a public hearing that included neighbors' concerns about security, visitation and police response; the shelter operators said parents are not given the facility address and the organization does not plan outdoor play areas.
The Terrell City Council approved a specific-use permit (ordinance No. 3114) permitting an orphanage/emergency shelter operation at 809 West Nash Street following a public hearing at which nearby residents raised concerns about child safety, parental access and police response times.
The application, presented by Jana Wampler, business development manager, requests that CAFSON Ltd (the applicant named in the ordinance) operate a nonprofit shelter providing care and support for children up to age 17. Wampler said 19 notices were mailed to abutting landowners and staff had not received written responses; the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the SUP 9–0.
Neighbors who spoke at the hearing said they had not received notice, expressed worry about potential visits by upset family members and described recent vandalism and slow police follow-up in the neighborhood. Alan Williams, who lives across the street, asked whether parents could access children and whether there would be on-site security; he said he was concerned about children leaving the facility.
Sharonda Ross and Crystal Wilson, identified at the hearing as the shelter’s leaders, said the existing facility has operated in Terrell for four years and that parents are not provided the street address for safety reasons. "Parents do not know where we are," Sharonda Ross said; "it is for safety — not just for their kids but for our employees and the neighbors." She added the organization expects to house up to 16 children with a program maximum of 23, and said the facility would not add an outdoor play area and that transport is provided for work or schooling.
City staff and council members emphasized that the SUP process includes conditions and that council can revoke an SUP for noncompliance. Council voted to approve ordinance No. 3114 following a motion by Stephanie Holmes Thomas and a second from Mayrani Velasquez; the vote result was recorded as carrying with a majority.
Why it matters: the approval permits a nonprofit emergency shelter to operate openly at the West Nash address under SUP conditions so the organization can expand services; neighbors asked for stronger assurances about safety protocols and police responsiveness, and staff said they would enforce SUP conditions and follow-up as needed.
