Duluth City Council affirms interim permit for Safe Bay at Vineyard Church after appeal

The Duluth City Council on May 29, 2025, voted 6-0 to affirm the Planning Commission's May 13 decision approving an interim use permit for a seasonal Safe Bay safe-parking site at 1533 West Arrowhead Road, the council's presiding officer said. The permit allows CHUM's Safe Bay program to operate for one year as an interim outdoor living site and, per the application, seasonally from May through October.

The decision follows an appeal filed May 21 by the Miller Law Office on behalf of nearby residents who contend city staff and the Planning Commission improperly interpreted the city's Unified Development Chapter (UDC) screening requirements. In the appeal hearing, the council acted in a quasi-judicial role and heard a staff report, statements from the appellants and the applicants, a public-comment period, and council questions before voting on a resolution to affirm the Planning Commission.

Planning and community development manager Jen Moses told the council the application had been reviewed by staff and the Planning Commission and that the application met the requirements of Chapter 50 of the Duluth legislative code for an interim outdoor living site. Moses said staff visited the site after the May 13 approval and confirmed screening was in place in photographs submitted to the record.

Brenda Miller, attorney for the appellants, told the council the appeal challenged how planning staff and the…