Sounds like this Reverend cares more about convicted child molesters than he does about mothers trying to raise their kids in that neighborhood. What a creep. The writer of this article should've dug deeper and asked the Reverend about the $500 voucher he'll receive from the State each month per resident. He says he'll house 10 people, but the city inspector's office authorized that property for 16 people. You bet he'll squeeze in that many if it brings in $8,000 bucks a month. Cha-ching. No wonder he doesn't care what the community thinks.

I live on this street and I can say that, while there are a few neighbors who have adopted a "not in my backyard" attitude towards this proposed transition house, many have not. The majority of the neighbors who have spoken up about the project are supportive of the idea and recognize the need. They are the same neighbors who welcomed the homeless tent city "Nickelsville," in the parking lot behind New Hope Baptist Church last year.

Their issue is not whether or not a transition house be placed in the neighborhood, but rather how the church has handled the project up until this point. There are numerous indicators that the church does not have a solid plan for making the transition house a safe and functional project. (Evidence of this would have been readily available to Cienna Madrid had he/she wanted to find it.) That the church's lack of a concrete plan threatens the safety and stability of the residents of the transition house is a concern that has been voiced by many neighbors, alongside their concerns about how the transition house will impact everyone else in the neighborhood.

In short, most neighbors do not oppose the placement of the transition house. They oppose the church's failure to communicate with the immediate community and the church's failure to present evidence that they have thought through all the necessary steps for making a project of this nature successful, safe, and sustainable.

CD News got it right: "James Kenny, an Assistant Seattle City Attorney, spoke after Hayes and cautioned the assemblage that even if a good neighbor agreement is reached between Black Dollar Days Task Force and the 22nd Avenue Block Watch and Community Group, this would be a civil agreement between two parties. In other words, the police and city prosecutors will not be responsible for enforcing the agreement."
http://centraldistrictnews.com/2010/03/0…

NOT, as reported in this article, that the agreement would be unenforceable.

@4, I was at the meeting and it was apparent that those opposed to the house wanted a GNA the city, the police, would enforce (which is the standard reason for creating a GNA), not a civil doc. Kenny made it clear the city wouldn't take that role. Given what the neighbors were asking for--a strong arm from the city--and the city's response, which was, basically, "no," the GNA is not enforceable. You can get into semantics on a blog if you wish, but when you're pairing your words down to 800 or less, you have to cut to the chase.

Cutting to the chase is far different than misquoting Jim Kenny to the degree that accuses him of making a false statement...."that any agreement isn't legally binding and the city won't enforce it."

"but when you're pairing your words down to 800 or less, you have to cut to the chase."

incredulous hack of the week! literally and figuratively.

Listen, I know it's been the stranger's policy to rail against any sort of perceived NIMBYisms, but this story is much more about incompetence than NIMBY. Have you asked the Rev. how he plans to run his half-way house? His details? You seem to be missing the point....this dude is clueless.

But your hypothesis was already formed.
You picked the the most salacious quotes from the angriest people.
You regurgitated data and information from one side.
You are identical to Anna King and the pot "wars".

This makes you an incredulous hack.

What about the middle class families which live in the central district?!

What about our property values??

We already have high crime, Casa Latina, Homeless Tent City, now they want to put in ex-convicts (and remember criminals, including sex-offenders tend to re-offend)

Why don't they go put them in a neighborhood like Queen Anne or Wallingford?

Why keep dumping all this in the CD??
How will our neighborhood ever improve and get cleaned up? Hello People!

Uh, call me jaded but my guess is that the church is far less concerned about forgiveness than it is motivated by money. $8,000 more a month for housing felons? Who cares what the neighbors think.

I am married to a sex offender still currently in prison. I am very concerned about finding livable housing to which he can be released when he gets out. He will not be re-offending, after a substantial amount of time in prison. He was not married when he was convicted of a child sex offense. He is not interested in children, but was on drugs in those days. That was long ago and he has changed much for the better. He deserves a second chance. We have talked a lot about how hard it is for former sex offenders to find housing. I think this church should be commended, and hope more do the same. Yes, the Christ I believe in would approve.