Neighbor describes safety, nuisance concerns after Fortitude Outreach Center opens; city staff says overnight sheltering requires conditional use

Martha King, a Kankakee resident, told the Planning Board on July 15 that she lives next to Fortitude Outreach Center at 970 East Court Street and described repeated incidents she said occurred after the facility opened, including finding people sleeping on adjoining property, frequent visitors leaving donations at her door and vans and a bus parked near her bedroom window. The concern came during the Planning Board’s “other business” public-comment period. King said a Fortitude employee initially told her the building would be used for office space only and that showers might be provided during the day, and that she later spoke with Alderman Michael Prude and Alderman Cheryl Malone Marshall about the site. King said neighborhood contacts later told her Fortitude had been housing people in vans "on occasion." She said she would not sign a petition reportedly circulated by the facility asking neighbors to support overnight housing. Planning staff told the board that Fortitude bought the property to operate offices and to develop services there and that the organization had pulled building permits for interior remodeling, including a commercial kitchen. Staff said Fortitude has not received approval for overnight sheltering; the transcript records that overnight sheltering would require a conditional use permit under the city’s zoning process. Staff said a future phase of Fortitude’s plans would include bed build-out but that the organization cannot implement overnight services without a conditional use approval. Other speakers at the meeting said they had observed multiple large vehicles—described as a bus, two long buses and smaller vans—parked at or near the property; an attendee who does maintenance work for King said he found clothing and human presence on the adjacent grounds and that Fortitude staff gave him cards with contact information for a local homeless helpline to distribute. Why this matters: King said the parking and overnight presence, and repeated knocks at neighbors’ doors seeking donations, are affecting residents directly adjacent to the center. Planning staff framed the issue as both a code-compliance and land-use question: day services and case management can occur during permitted hours, but overnight sheltering requires a zoning conditional use before it may legally operate as described. Planning staff and board members asked follow-up questions on-site uses, the building’s configuration, and whether police reports had been filed for specific incidents; King said police were called in at least one instance and that she had also contacted her alderman. The meeting record shows no formal action by the Planning Board on the Fortitude operation; staff indicated that if Fortitude seeks overnight sheltering, it must submit a conditional use application for Planning Board and City Council review. Ending: Residents raised immediate neighborhood concerns and asked staff and board members to note the reports. Planning staff said the city had issued an informational letter when a business license was granted and reiterated that overnight sheltering requires a conditional use permit; no conditional use application for overnight sheltering had been approved as of the July 15 meeting.