Ripple Community Inc., a non-profit, wants to turn the church at 16th and Chew into very affordable apartments, and also have recovery rooms there, where essentially homeless people could recover from illness or injury.
While I'm not involved in the current zoning board dilemma concerning these proposals, I do have a lot of background in that neighborhood. I lived across the street from the church for many years.
Years ago, the then very strong West Park Civic Association would be out in force officially opposing this conversion. I remember when they even opposed another congregation selling the church at 15th and Turner to a less funded congregation. They complained that the maintenance on the church might suffer.
I also remember many years ago when a wealthy member of the congregation at 16th & Chew left money in his will to have the church dressed out. Although the structure was in very good condition, they repointed all the stonework anyway, and remodeled the bell tower. In more recent times when the congregation felt financial strain and put the church up for sale, I thought that if only they hadn't done those superfluous upgrades, that money might have enabled them to keep the church going.
Even Alan Jennings, who drips liberalism, thinks that the 16th Street church is the wrong place for Ripple's new plans.
photocredit:Jason Addy/LehighValleyNews.com
Mike, West Park community members are out in force as opposing the project. The WPCA is itself not talking a stand on this project as a few board members are in favor. The is WPCA stronger than ever made up of long time members such as myself and newer arrivals many of them professionals and highly educated who see the beauty of the neighborhood, our community bond, our many public parks, and the city's geographic location as real plusses. Now Ripple. Ripple executive director came to our board meeting last summer and informed us the the church had been sold to them by the congregation for a token sum. Ripple planned to convert the church into low income apartments. The board in general thought this was okay and took no further action. Months later we found out that without any notification Ripple has applied for variances for far more than that, had submitted it the zoning, and actually had a zoning meeting for approval. On all of this the WPCA, neighbors of the church, and the community were kept completely in the dark by both Ripple and the city's zoning office .fortunately, one of Ripple's expert witnesses could not attend the scheduled meeting and it was continued. Somehow WFMZ was there and reported on it. That is how we found out. Long story short, trust was broken and remains so. Neighbors are very afraid of this. We have hired an attorney, we are fighting for our community. Putting a homeless shelter (even though they deny it is, it is) in the middle of Allentown's last successful, beautiful, diverse community is a terrible idea, especially when those running the shelter have lost the trust and respect of the surrounding community. I have to run, more tonight. Scott Armstrong
ReplyDeleteScott, thanks for filling my audience in on the backstory. I did know that individual WPCA members were opposed; but years ago I believe that the organization itself would have taken a stand. I also expected that my statement on the WPCA would cause a response from you.
DeleteReading this, this has all the hallmarks of our federal government providing money to non-profits for housing new migrants into our nation.
DeleteThe using of non-profits, the non disclosure of all the facts, and using as little as possible information to get their nose inside the tent.
I suspect it will not be long after the conversion is made that the tenants, none of which will be from the area, will be placed in these apartments along with their children. Left to the resources of the city to support them with their social services and the ASD at taxpayers expense.
7:48 refers to a topic very few regular citizens know much about. Can’t particularly blame them as the legacy news media won’t touch it.
DeleteOur current government is spending hundreds of millions of our tax dollars to fill this nation with needy individuals and families. They funnel the money through various religious groups and non-profit pop-up agencies. But, the goal goes well beyond just helping people. It’s a political strategy first.
anon@7:48 and 9:45: I will not be hosting anymore comments on that topic. Comments will be restricted to plans for this former church and other Allentown projects.
DeleteScott Armstrong, you are “spot on”. I was in attendance when I heard Dr. Binder speak about the project at the West Park Civic Assiciation. I also attended the open house at the church. It was never ever mentioned about this other component. It was kept hidden and now as you mentioned, trust has been broken. For the record, I am in opposition to this move.
DeleteThis is a very bad idea, it will in time destroy the West Park neighborhood, the last stable, ethically diverse beautiful downtown neighborhood. Anyone with a brain knows what the results will be if zoning permits a homeless shelter smack dab in the center of it. Meanwhile, Ripple talks down to concerned homeowners and renters as if we are scared children. Their woke arrogance is frankly obnoxious. Yes, they sense fear becausevwe are afraid. Anyone who knows what happens to communities where homeless shelters are permitted have every rightbto be afraid. We should be. We have every right to be. We are now frankly even more afraid of the arrogance that is Ripple. Even life long low income advocate Allen Jennings gets it. Ripple is way too smug to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteWrong thing.to do with.it
ReplyDeleteHope it is not approved. Look what happened to Zions when given for little money.
ReplyDeleteMichael, By the way… what is happening with the former Zion’s United Church of Christ, also known as the Liberty Bell Church?
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote back in February of 23, Gregory Edward's congregation now has the Zion building. Hasshan Batts and Promise Neighborhood is running a hot meal program from the lower level.
DeletePathetic NIMBY Karen attitude of these posters, some probably fancy themselves good Christians.
ReplyDelete3:06 - You can shove your bogus name-calling. Residents are fighting for the quality of life in their neighborhoods. It’s about time City Hall backs them up.
DeleteAs far as the homeless shelter, let them put it next to your home
If someone wanted a scheme to blow up the last stable, successful, diverse, and culturally active downtown community they could not devise a better plan than what Ripple seeks. They want to use the church building at 16th and Chew to serve the homeless, they are seeking a temporary shelter variance for Respite Rooms". Granting Ripple this TR variance would allow Ripple or whomever owns or runs the building anytime forward the turn the building into a homeless shelter and no one could stop them. It's no mystery what happens to neighborhoods that surround homeless shelters. It's well documented. Presently Ripple is saying it won't happen, they don't want it, but Ripple has said things already that were less than the truth. There are plenty of neighborhoods closer to the downtown, especially closer to Jordan Creek where a homeless shelter could better serve the homeless who camp out down there. Homeowners and renters alike in West Park are solidly against this and who can blame them. It's a very bad idea, and poses a real threat to the future viability of the West Park neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThis is the type of situation that shows how far Allentown City Hall is from any real vision or plan for the city.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to lift the quality of life in the city, you raise the standards and aspire to improve neighborhoods and attract more upscale residents to the city. That’s the supposed purpose of programs like the NIZ.
At the same time, City Hall seems to working against that vision elsewhere in the city by overcrowding stable neighborhoods with apartment buildings catering to an ever-churning population of low income transient residents. Look no further than this project or the new high-rise on Hamilton at the Scottish Rite building.
These types of projects are how you destroy neighborhoods (and ultimately, the city), not improve them. Residents that can afford to will flee, not because they want to but because Ciry Hall isn’t protecting their investment as forcefully as it does for developers like City Center inside the NIZ. Those are the residents that the city can’t afford to lose.
Allentown has an overabundance of low income residents and rental properties. Adding to that is only compounding the problems the city has.
I don’t consider myself a genius or think my opinions are any sort of revelation. Rather, I think it’s both obvious and common sense. That the obvious seems to elude our elected officials does cause me to wonder about their motivation in allowing projects like these to move forward.
I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of posters here that there must be far more suitable places for this type of program. I don't think the people who need it or use it are from this neighborhood and feel it is inappropriate to introduce and force this on the residents. This is for the most part a clean, quiet community and a regulated historic district. I feel it would better serve the unfortunate people who need this service if it were available to in locations in closer proximity to them. I truly do not believe that this community has a need for a program of this magnitude. There is a plan to spend A LOT of money to retrofit it for its new purpose. The exterior, too, will bear the marks of adaptation…permanently. While it would certainly be good to not have yet another local church fall into disrepair or abandonment will this really prevent that in the long run? Would this be a benefit for this community or the beginning of the end? DH
ReplyDeleteAnyone interested in what this church may morph into only has to drive by Dubb's church at 5th and Allen and witness it first hand.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with many of the comments submitted.....Unfortunately downtown Allentown has become a refuge for transients, with "slumlord" ownership pushing section "8"...my neighborhood is an example.....It's a crying shame, but "follow the money"......PJF
ReplyDeleteSection 8 is just another avenue for control. This city despises homeowners, no doubt. It has already been determined, and at least 2-maybe 3, articles in the Call have stated the whole of center city is to be redeveloped. Homeowners are difficult to move, renters, not so hard.
DeleteRipple runs a place on Linden near 13th. Drive past it around 4:15 or so on a weekday afternoon. That will tell you all you need to know about what this plan will bring to 16th and Chew.
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves me correctly…
I believe that Ripple has a location at the former Stephen’s Funeral Home location, on Chew Street.
Would be interesting to see if they have been a good neighbor in that neighborhood?
Perhaps, a request to see how many times the police have been dispatched to that address could be very telling!
You know… it could have a Ripple affect on the neighborhood.
Just Sayin
This was brought up at the second hearing, Ripple's executive director was very vague in her research saying something along the line of "just a handful of times". The objectors then did their own research,city provided records painted a far different picture. Emergency responses were far greater than just a handful. Again, Ripple was not honest with the community.
DeleteSome further examination revealed the emergency calls to be not as extreme as the objector was presenting, though. I believe the stat averaged at four calls per month across EMS, fire, and police. The zoning board member pointed out that it is city practice to send a fire truck along with EMS on a call. He asked the objector if a situation like this was listed as two calls on his list, and the objector confirmed it was. So the four calls a month figure is inflated for that reason.
DeleteI was just by Dubb's Church... sorry to say, but it looks like a homeless encampment. My late Grandparents were members and were marries there. I'm sure they're twirling in their graves....
ReplyDelete