Latest news with #communityconcerns
CBC
10-07-2025
- CBC
Resident near Downtown Mission feels leadership 'indifferent' as issues mount
Executive director says she takes concerns to heart, but some issues outside of Mission control "Indifferent to the community" is how Pelissier Street resident Paul Synnott is describing the leadership of Windsor's Downtown Mission — because of issues he sees living near the Ouellette Avenue homeless shelter and a recent incident where the beam from a laser pointer hit his eye. "All we as residents are asking for is the Mission to make a good faith, honest attempt to control the behaviour," Synnott told CBC Windsor. "Every engagement anybody has ever had with the Mission, it's almost like a form letter." Synnott's home is just across the street from the fenced yard at the rear of the Mission. He said that on a nightly basis, the adjacent sidewalks and lots are scenes of drug use, drug dealing, fights and public indecency. On top of that, residents are constantly dealing with property damage and theft attempts, Synnott said. Synnott says the incident that broke his patience with the Mission was suffering a laser pointer beam to his eye as a result of a person on Mission property playing with the device. "[Laser pointers] can literally burn your retina, damage your eye permanently," Synnott said. Laser pointer incident symptom of a larger problem: Neighbour According to Synnott, the incident happened on the night of July 6, when he was inside his home and noticed a green beam dancing on his walls. When he turned to look outside, the beam went into the corner of his left eye. "It was like somebody sticking a sharp stick in the corner of my eye," Synnott said. "It hurt immediately." Synnott said he went out onto his porch, and realized that the beam was coming from a laser pointer in the hands of a person on the property of the Downtown Mission. Image | Downtown Mission Caption: People gathered outside the fenced rear yard of the Downtown Mission of Windsor, at night. (Submitted by Paul Synnott) Open Image in New Tab "I mean, I could see the man sitting at a bench in the Mission compound," Synnott said. "He heard and saw me coming, and he booked it pretty quick." Synnott says he has since spoken with Windsor police officers about it — but he feels the incident is only a symptom of a larger problem. Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, the executive director of the Downtown Mission, told CBC Windsor that she's aware of Synnott's criticisms, and she has spoken with him personally. "I'm sorry he feels that way," Ponniah-Goulin said. "I take those [comments] to heart. I apologize for making him feel that way... but there's only so much we can do." The laser pointer incident was not recorded on the Mission's security cameras, and staff have not reported any issues involving a client carrying a laser pointer, Ponniah-Goulin said. Pelissier Street residents have had complaints about the Downtown Mission since the organization moved its shelter services to 875 Ouellette Ave. in June 2022. Although the Mission has rules for people on its property, it's common for Mission clients to gather in nearby off-site areas — such as the vacant building that was previously the Central Branch of the Windsor Public Library and a nearby vacant office building. Ponniah-Goulin said there are staff members present on Mission property at all times, and there are volunteers who clean up around the Mission property three times a day. "We are not Windsor police. We can only manage what's happening on our property," she pointed out. "If anything is happening elsewhere — on other people's property, or in public on the road or on the sidewalk... that is out of our hands, unfortunately." Ponniah-Goulin encouraged anyone who notices problems on the Mission property to take photos or videos, and contact the Mission. But issues outside the Mission grounds should be brought to police. "Some of the individuals that we've seen in pictures or videos don't even get any services at the Mission," she said. "We have no control over these people." According to Ponniah-Goulin, the Downtown Mission still considers 875 Ouellette Ave. to be a temporary location of its shelter services: The long-term plan remains to move those services to a location close to the City of Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, once that "H4" facility is established. But the city's plans for the location of that hub are in flux. Previously announced plans for a prospective site for the hub have been cancelled, and council asked city administration this past spring to look at revisiting the idea that the H4 must be within a 2.5-kilometre radius of the downtown core. Dana Paladino, the city's acting commissioner of human and health services, said that work continues on that report. She noted that any exploration of a specific property for the H4 would require assessments including environmental, archeological and financial. Ponniah-Goulin said it could be four to five years before the Downtown Mission changes the location of its shelter services. "I think the issues are being addressed, little by little," she said. "There are higher levels of government that are getting involved, which is wonderful." Longtime Victoria Avenue resident Peg Dorner said she sympathizes with Synnott and other Pelissier Street residents: She also had a lot to complain about when the Downtown Mission's shelter services were located at 664 Victoria Ave., just up the street from her home. "We saw all of that here," Dorner said. "But when the Mission moved — even if it's just a block and a half away now — all of that moved away from the neighbourhood. It has become a much more relaxed neighbourhood." "I know the residents [of Pelissier Street] are just beside themselves. And for absolute good reason." But Dorner says she doesn't think it ostracizes clients of the Mission to point out the issues — and says she feels services should be decentralized and spread out across the city. Synnott says he intends to continue to call public attention to the problems around the Downtown Mission. But he also believes the Mission isn't solely responsible for those problems, and he's not trying to vilify people who are homeless or have substance abuse or mental health issues. "This is a microcosm," Synnott said. "My goal is to get politicians to understand. "I've issued a challenge and an invitation to the premier: Come visit. Just come visit me and sit with me on the porch at six in the morning or 10 at night."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Resident near Downtown Mission feels leadership 'indifferent' as issues mount
"Indifferent to the community" is how Pelissier Street resident Paul Synnott is describing the leadership of Windsor's Downtown Mission — because of issues he sees living near the Ouellette Avenue homeless shelter and a recent incident where the beam from a laser pointer hit his eye. "All we as residents are asking for is the Mission to make a good faith, honest attempt to control the behaviour," Synnott told CBC Windsor. "Every engagement anybody has ever had with the Mission, it's almost like a form letter." Synnott's home is just across the street from the fenced yard at the rear of the Mission. He said that on a nightly basis, the adjacent sidewalks and lots are scenes of drug use, drug dealing, fights and public indecency. On top of that, residents are constantly dealing with property damage and theft attempts, Synnott said. Synnott says the incident that broke his patience with the Mission was suffering a laser pointer beam to his eye as a result of a person on Mission property playing with the device. "[Laser pointers] can literally burn your retina, damage your eye permanently," Synnott said. Laser pointer incident symptom of a larger problem: Neighbour According to Synnott, the incident happened on the night of July 6, when he was inside his home and noticed a green beam dancing on his walls. When he turned to look outside, the beam went into the corner of his left eye. "It was like somebody sticking a sharp stick in the corner of my eye," Synnott said. "It hurt immediately." Synnott said he went out onto his porch, and realized that the beam was coming from a laser pointer in the hands of a person on the property of the Downtown Mission. "I mean, I could see the man sitting at a bench in the Mission compound," Synnott said. "He heard and saw me coming, and he booked it pretty quick." Synnott says he has since spoken with Windsor police officers about it — but he feels the incident is only a symptom of a larger problem. Rukshini Ponniah-Goulin, the executive director of the Downtown Mission, told CBC Windsor that she's aware of Synnott's criticisms, and she has spoken with him personally. "I'm sorry he feels that way," Ponniah-Goulin said. "I take those [comments] to heart. I apologize for making him feel that way... but there's only so much we can do." The laser pointer incident was not recorded on the Mission's security cameras, and staff have not reported any issues involving a client carrying a laser pointer, Ponniah-Goulin said. Pelissier Street residents have had complaints about the Downtown Mission since the organization moved its shelter services to 875 Ouellette Ave. in June 2022. Although the Mission has rules for people on its property, it's common for Mission clients to gather in nearby off-site areas — such as the vacant building that was previously the Central Branch of the Windsor Public Library and a nearby vacant office building. Ponniah-Goulin said there are staff members present on Mission property at all times, and there are volunteers who clean up around the Mission property three times a day. "We are not Windsor police. We can only manage what's happening on our property," she pointed out. "If anything is happening elsewhere — on other people's property, or in public on the road or on the sidewalk... that is out of our hands, unfortunately." Ponniah-Goulin encouraged anyone who notices problems on the Mission property to take photos or videos, and contact the Mission. But issues outside the Mission grounds should be brought to police. "Some of the individuals that we've seen in pictures or videos don't even get any services at the Mission," she said. "We have no control over these people." According to Ponniah-Goulin, the Downtown Mission still considers 875 Ouellette Ave. to be a temporary location of its shelter services: The long-term plan remains to move those services to a location close to the City of Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub, once that "H4" facility is established. But the city's plans for the location of that hub are in flux. Previously announced plans for a prospective site for the hub have been cancelled, and council asked city administration this past spring to look at revisiting the idea that the H4 must be within a 2.5-kilometre radius of the downtown core. Dana Paladino, the city's acting commissioner of human and health services, said that work continues on that report. She noted that any exploration of a specific property for the H4 would require assessments including environmental, archeological and financial. Ponniah-Goulin said it could be four to five years before the Downtown Mission changes the location of its shelter services. "I think the issues are being addressed, little by little," she said. "There are higher levels of government that are getting involved, which is wonderful." Longtime Victoria Avenue resident Peg Dorner said she sympathizes with Synnott and other Pelissier Street residents: She also had a lot to complain about when the Downtown Mission's shelter services were located at 664 Victoria Ave., just up the street from her home. "We saw all of that here," Dorner said. "But when the Mission moved — even if it's just a block and a half away now — all of that moved away from the neighbourhood. It has become a much more relaxed neighbourhood." "I know the residents [of Pelissier Street] are just beside themselves. And for absolute good reason." But Dorner says she doesn't think it ostracizes clients of the Mission to point out the issues — and says she feels services should be decentralized and spread out across the city. Synnott says he intends to continue to call public attention to the problems around the Downtown Mission. But he also believes the Mission isn't solely responsible for those problems, and he's not trying to vilify people who are homeless or have substance abuse or mental health issues. "This is a microcosm," Synnott said. "My goal is to get politicians to understand. "I've issued a challenge and an invitation to the premier: Come visit. Just come visit me and sit with me on the porch at six in the morning or 10 at night."
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Uproar in quiet suburb over Indigenous group home as locals fear 'halfway house' will bring crime and cause property value plunge
Locals opposed to a 'group home' in their NSW Central Coast neighbourhood are demanding answers about who will live there, as the developer suggests it might house recovering drug addicts and former prisoners. A $1.6million application to Central Coast Council, made by Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre through development firm ADW Johnson, plans to transform what was formerly the Lakes Anglican School site at Summerland Point on Lake Macquarie. It proposes to transform an existing seven-bedroom building into a permanent residence and add an additional eight bedrooms using moveable dwellings. In application documents, the developer described the project as a 'group home' for both transitional and permanent residents. It defined a group home as a dwelling that might house residents including people with a disability or social disadvantage, or those undergoing drug or alcohol rehabilitation. It might also provide halfway accommodation for people who formerly lived in institutions, or refuges for men, women or young people. But Summerland Point locals, who had lodged 900 objections to the proposal on Friday, say they have no idea who will actually be living in the home. They argue it will affect the safety, amenity and house values in their lakeside town, where the median house price is about $800,000. Max Collins, a retired local who has lived in Summerland Point for 10 years, said it was a lack of information that residents found concerning. 'When you read the DA it's quite frightening,' he said. Mr Collins understood the development was originally intended to be a women's shelter but said that possibility was getting 'smaller and smaller' as the proposal gained publicity. 'They haven't mentioned domestic violence refuge for women, what they have put is it can be used for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and people who were formerly in institutions. 'This is a quiet little suburb... We've got a lot of older people concerned about this sort of thing in our neighbourhood, and a lot of young families. 'All the community wants to know is, what is going on? It's right next to a club so you can't have drug and alcohol (rehabilitation), surely. The council have made a real mess of this - they've handled it badly.' Mr Collins said the developer wasn't allowed to build on the site because it was a C3 zone - a problem it appeared to have got around with its plan to bring in moveable dwellings. Residents had asked Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre for a meeting on site which it had declined, he said. He maintained that his opposition to the group home was not rooted in racism. 'Nothing's been said in relation to Aboriginal. It's just this development - nothing has been mentioned about race.' Hundreds of objections to the development have been lodged on the Central Coast Council website, with the names of residents redacted. 'I would like to highlight that Summerland Point does not have a police station, and police presence in the area is notably limited,' one local said. 'This lack of law enforcement infrastructure raises serious concerns about the ability to ensure community safety and effectively respond to potential challenges arising from the establishment of a group home in our area.' '...Additionally, this project raises concerns about potential property devaluation,' the local said. 'Residents of our community take great pride in their homes and have invested heavily in maintaining their properties, choosing to live in this area for its peaceful and welcoming environment.'
BBC News
25-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Plans for Bedworth children's care home withdrawn after concerns
Plans to open a children's care home in Bedworth have been withdrawn after concerns from proposal would have seen a semi-detached property in Gallagher Road turned into a home for three children under the age of 18, however some neighbours believed the street was the wrong location and worried it could cause anti-social behaviour as well as parking and Bedworth Borough Council, the local planning authority responsible, confirmed on Wednesday that the application had been withdrawn. The BBC has approached the applicant for comment. Sylvia May, 67, has lived on the road with her husband Alan for nearly 40 years. She said she felt "frightened" and would be wary of confronting any children if there were to be any trouble as she feared she could be "attacked".Mr May added that he was concerned the care home would "upset" the area and the children would "cause problems". The planning application outlined that the property would operate with two staff on duty at all times and would have a driveway big enough for up to three resident, Natalie Morris, 58, who had lived on the street for 12 years, said the street was a "very peaceful area", however there had recently been a increase in the number of traffic issues. Ms Morris was worried that the plans would lead to "an influx of staff members" and add pressure to chief executive of Become, a charity for children in residential care, Katharine Sacks-Jones, told the BBC the proposal would have been no different to the house being put on the market."They [residents] don't know the children who will be living there the same as they wouldn't know a family who'd move in."The plan was due to be decided on by the council's planning committee in July. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Baltimore residents frustrated with weeds covering sidewalks, fire hydrant
Residents on Baltimore's Pascal Avenue are frustrated that trees, brush, and shrubs are taking over part of their neighborhood. "We've had cars that have gotten bugs, trails of bugs from out of the brush into their cars," said resident Michelle Martin. "There are thorns, so if you step out, you might get scratched." Residents on Baltimore's Pascal Avenue are frustrated that trees, brush, and shrubs are taking over part of their neighborhood. CBS News Baltimore This has become the reality for residents of Pascal Avenue in Baltimore City. "If there was an actual fire, we didn't know where the fire hydrant was because it's completely covered with brush," Martin said. No response from the city Martin says when she moved to the neighborhood eight years ago, she used to walk the sidewalks all the time, but over the last three years, the sidewalk has become overgrown with shrubs. She says several calls to the city to maintain it have gone largely unanswered. "Last year, I made three calls, and only one of them got a service request," Martin said. "When I called to check on them, they told me they only saw one in the system and that it probably wouldn't be handled this year." Rodent infestation fuels frustration Now, following a rodent infestation, she and her neighbors have had enough and took their frustrations to City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter. In a statement to WJZ, Porter says she is aware of these concerns, writing in part, "My staff informed her that there is no sidewalk on the street abutting West Bay Park. Additionally, staff informed her in the June 12, 2025, 4:48 PM email that Forestry, under City Recreation and Parks, had been notified and that our office is tracking the issue for resolution." Hoping for a solution Martin says she is hopeful Councilwoman Porter will bring them a long-awaited solution, but she is frustrated that it had to come to this. "I don't think this is a big issue, I think it's something that could easily be taken care of. I don't think we have to, as a taxpayer, that I have to call a councilman and a state senator to get someone to respond and get an answer to get this taken care of, but that's what I've had to do," said Martin. Martin told WJZ that an inspector came out Wednesday, and he, too, denied that a sidewalk was ever present there, which Martin says is not true. She said the inspector told neighbors they are working to have this addressed by the end of the summer.
