Havre de Grace council tables proposed zoning change for group housing after hours of public comment

The Havre de Grace City Council on Jan. 21, 2025 voted 6‑0 to table Ordinance 11‑68, a proposed zoning change to allow “group housing” in parts of the city, after more than two hours of public comment on the plan to convert the former Mount Zion Baptist Church at 550 Lewis Street into transitional housing for veterans.

The ordinance, introduced for a second reading earlier in the meeting, would have amended Chapter 205 of the city code to permit group‑living arrangements in areas where they are not now allowed. Councilmember Robertson moved to table the ordinance and send it back to the planning commission; Councilmember Boyer seconded. The motion carried 6‑0.

Supporters and opponents voiced sharply different views during the public comment period. Jack Burkerage, chief executive officer of Communities Helping Empower Patriots (CHEP), which proposed the project, appealed to council members and residents to back the plan and to consider the veterans the group serves. “We promised you that there would be nobody on the registry in that building,” Burkerage said, describing commitments CHEP has made about…