Williams County wants to move the center onto the property where the former Williston New Public School District 8 offices still stand. The county intends to demolish the existing buildings and construct a new center.
After nearly 100 minutes of discussion with area officials and hearing comments and various complaints from residents living near the intersection of 11th Street West and Ninth Avenue, the commission unanimously approved the application.
The assessment center is currently located in the old county law enforcement center on Fourth Avenue East. It houses children ages 12-17 and is a transition facility for youth coming from a bad home situation or after they are picked up on various status and delinquent offenses.
Youth center administrator Marsha Hughes said there are no seriously at-risk youth at the center since it only has one staff member there at any one time. “We provide a safe place for them as they go through the system,” said Hughes.
Williams County Sheriff Scott Busching said having the center for youth in a tough situation in the city is more efficient than having to shuttle them to facilities in Mandan or Fargo and back for court hearings. He also said having a facility for youth that’s not in the new LEC with the stigma attached to being there, as compared to having it in a location near the schools and library, is more appropriate.
“The main focus was so the whole family can be treated, not just the child. We felt it was better for the community if even one or two children are better off, then it’s worth it,” Busching said. “We just spent about $16 million on facilities for the adults. We‘re just asking to spend some for the kids so they don’t end up here.”
Williams County Commissioner Dan Kalil also thought the location for the new center is a good one. He said being near the high school, junior high, family center and the library makes it a productive location so youth can still go to school and go about a mostly normal routine despite their situation.
“We looked at this as not as what’s the best location for the county. We looked at it as what’s the best location for the children,” said Kalil.
Bill Hanson, a resident whose property is directly adjacent to the District 8 office, said he had numerous concerns about the proposed relocation. He said one of his main concerns is the parking situation. He has a trucking business and parks trucks and vehicles out back. His access would be cut or nearly eliminated if the center were located there.
“There’s no parking, except out back; there’s no alley on that block. It’s just not a good spot. And second, with there being kids right by the busiest part of town...I just have a problem; I’m right next door,” said Hanson.
Planning and zoning Chair Glenn Boyeff said perhaps they could work something out with the county in terms of some kind of easement or access for Hanson and other residents. Hanson replied he has trucks as long as 36 to 40 feet that are backed into his yard and it seemed to be a very tough, if not an impossible thing to do, if the center is to be there.
The issue of an escalation in crime also came up. Kalil said the center youth are under 24-hour supervision and the county hasn’t had any problems in the past.
“You’re more likely to have a problem with an unsupervised youth up the street, or from across town or from another community, than from a child being supervised 24 hours a day,” said Kalil.
Hanson said he has a young daughter and asked what happens if someone leaves, since the facility has an open-door policy and isn’t locked down.
Hughes said when someone leaves, the police are immediately contacted since the youth are there under court order. She also said a center youth has only left a couple times and on both occasions the person who left went home.
After more discussion about traffic, parking and what it could mean to home values near the location, the commission voted to approve the special permit for the center. The commission added to the recommendation that the county try to find a solution to help with access for parking. The next step is for the city commission to approve or reject the recommendation.
The commission also held two separate public meetings. The first public hearing was about a proposed zone change from R-1, single-family residential to R-3, low-rise, multi-family townhouse residential for a couple of lots on Seventh Avenue East near the corner of 18th Street. The proposed change was unanimously denied.
The other public hearing regarded a proposed amendment to Ordinance No. 613 known as the Zoning Ordinance of the city of Williston. The proposal was to add a new section and subsection regarding a definition as it relates to the Planned Unit Overlay District. This recommendation was unanimously approved, pending some minor wording changes.
Comments