My name is Rosalind Harris and my husband Al Harris and I are home owners in the Cobbs Creek Area. The above company put in a petition for appeal at the above location which was originally a church to be a PRIVATE PENAL INSTITUTE as defined by 1402 (91)and a PUBLIC PENAL INSTITUTE as defined by 1402 (90). The residents oppose this in every way shape and manner! The appeal date was 2/9/ll but the zoning notice did not go up until on or about 2/24/11.
As soon as my husband saw the notice we began making phone calls to State Representative Ronald Waters whose staff said that they did not know anything, they told us to call Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell who said they did not know anything and Senator Anthony Williams whose staff member told us because it was a city issue it was not on them but a city problem and to call the zoning board. We called the zoning board and they gave us wrong information on something that had been denied in November 2010. Thanks to a really great 311 operator who took the time to listen, she got us the right information and told us what step to take next! The residents, not our elected officials got a petition started and within a short period of time we got over 450 signatures opposing the penal institute in our neighborhood!The hearing was 3/9/2011 and because the neighborhood showed solidarity by coming out in full force along with Ronald Waters, Jannie Blackwell and Anthony Williams the hearing was continued to 3/30/2011 at 1515 Arch St.....When the lawyer Deborah Cianfrani was asked by the board if her clients had contacted the neighbors, she replied "No we were trying to do this as expeditiously as possible! The residents are having a neighbohood meeting Monday March 14,2011 at Mercy Hospital 5400 Cedar Ave at 6:45PM sharp on the 7th floor Chapel....Our editor of our weekly newspaper (Westside Weekly) thinks it's a done deal.
Please help us!
Read Next Complaint >>
