LAKELAND, Fla. — Talbot House Ministries' plan to relocate to Memorial Boulevard has been blocked, amid strong pushback from neighbors, leaving the future of its new homeless shelter and social services campus uncertain.
Wanda Avery lives in the Edgewater Drive Neighborhood just off Memorial Boulevard. She told me in the two decades she has lived there, she has seen an uptick in people experiencing homelessness.
"Every individual that lives here in this community has had some type of contact with an unhoused individual whether it be being approached while you're running at 4 o'clock in the morning, someone grabbing you and trying to run away with you, which I personally, had that experience," said Avery.
For that reason, in addition to the nearby schools and churches, she does not think Talbot House is a good fit for Memorial Boulevard.
"A problem where our children cannot go out and play, you don't see children in this community bicycling and playing anymore," said Avery.
Lakeland’s Planning and Zoning Board denied Talbot House's proposal to relocate from downtown to a larger facility on East Memorial Boulevard and North Ingraham Avenue.
The new campus would have served up to 390 people, focusing on long-term housing, job training, and health care.
In a recent Planning and Zoning meeting, Talbot House's Attorney Tim Campbell warned board members that the denial could violate federal civil rights laws.
"It is discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act for a local government to deny a land-use approval based upon the use of the property for services which assist the homeless and disabled," said Campbell.
Talbot House revised its initial plan, moving the building farther from nearby homes and reorienting the main entrance, but nearby residents argued the project conflicts with the City's plans to revitalize Memorial Boulevard.
"Rehab Memorial to make it so much nicer and by bringing that in you know it's putting lipstick on a pig. It wasn't going to work that way," said Miguel Irazoqui.
Several board members said neighborhood objections ultimately swayed their votes.
"Which I'm ecstatic about so that's the second time that they get denied and they need to figure out what they're going to do for their future. We want to have a quality of life here," Irazoqui said.
Talbot House now has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Lakeland City Commission, which would have the final say. I reached out to Talbot House leaders about their next steps but have not heard back.
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