Council rezones 2854 Church Street and approves temporary housing permit with amended conditions

The Stevens Point Common Council voted April 20 to rezone part of 2854 Church Street from single‑family (R‑2) to B‑4 commercial and to grant a conditional‑use permit allowing Partnering Together at Portage County and several nonprofit partners to operate a year‑round temporary housing facility and day services at the site.

Speakers from the partner organizations described a year‑round shelter and day center that would connect residents to housing, mental‑health care, addiction recovery and employment supports. Cindy Royer, president of 1 Big Tent, and other partners said the location is near transit, groceries and service providers.

Councilmember Jackie Guthrie moved two amendments to the plan‑commission conditions: removing a requirement that guests vacate the property within 30 minutes of nightly closure and extending the permit’s expiration from 12 months to 18 months before re‑review. Guthrie said the organizations plan to hire professional staff and run ongoing programs that make the 30‑minute rule impractical; she also argued a longer review window better respects the project’s staged opening schedule.

The council adopted both amendments by voice vote and then approved the conditional‑use permit as amended on a roll call. Supporters noted the city’s contribution to the broader, multi‑million dollar budget is modest and stressed the project’s community benefit. Opponents were not prominent on the record.

The permit includes oversight terms and a requirement for an operational plan; staff will work with the providers on any follow‑up conditions and monitoring.

Next steps: the providers will finalize their operational staffing and schedules and the city will track implementation and the 18‑month review timeline.