Contracts to build the shelter housing up to 214 people did get their initial vote of approval at city council Tuesday. But not before several concerned citizens, including two former council members, voiced worries about the choice of location.
"It is within walking distance to two schools," former council member Peggy Henson said. "The sidewalks are not adequate for them. I'm afraid someone will be hit."
"These were people that were denied from the Hope Center, the Salvation Army, and the Catholic Action (Center)," ex-councilman Richard Moloney added.
Another speaker raised red flags about the proximity to residential areas.
But Housing Advocacy and Community Development Commissioner Charlie Lanter said the city studied dozens of possible spots. He said, while potential objections could be raised in all cases, the Versailles Road option proved the least problematic.
"There is no location in the city of Lexington where there isn't something someone can stand here and tell you it's a concern. Because it is. It's just the nature of the work we do," he replied. "What we do is we mitigate. We try to make sure we meet the needs of the population and keep the impact to the bare minimum, and we're going to do that with 24/7 security, cameras on every inch of the property that is not a bathroom stall."
With the exception of one council member, the 11th District's Jennifer Reynolds, the council voted to move ahead with the planned location.