Harbor Place looks like so many other no-frills two-star motels that line Shelburne Road. The only thing that appeared out of the ordinary last Wednesday was someone pushing a child on a swing set on the snow-covered grounds.
But Shelburne officials see a problem. They say the facility, which caters to homeless people, is attracting criminals and straining the suburban town’s resources. Last October, they issued a zoning violation disputing that Harbor Place is operating as permitted — as a motel.
Champlain Housing Trust, which owns and operates Harbor Place, has appealed the charge. Next month, the nonprofit affordable housing developer will make its case before the Shelburne Development Review Board in a hearing that could change the direction of a larger discussion about the town’s obligations to alleviate poverty.
When CHT bought the 59-room Econo Lodge in 2013, the state was shelling out millions to temporarily house homeless people in motels — a costly stopgap measure that did little to actually reduce homelessness. CHT offered a different solution: The nonprofit would run the motel, rebranded as Harbor Place, where the state and community organizations could pay discounted rates to put up homeless clients. Partner organizations, including the Howard Center and Women Helping Battered Women, would send case managers to Harbor Place to help guests find permanent housing and get medical and other treatment.
It’s working, according to CHT spokesperson Chris Donnelly. He claims that Harbor Place guests are twice as likely to find housing as homeless people staying in traditional motels.
The state is saving “a significant amount of money,” too, according to Sean Brown, deputy commissioner of the Department for Children and Families — roughly $700,000, according to Donnelly’s estimates.
“It’s also a better service-delivery model,” Brown said, explaining that caseworkers find it challenging to reach clients scattered among different motels.
Noelle MacKay, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, agreed that Harbor Place is an “innovative model” that is “really making a difference in our goal of ending family homelessness by 2020.” MacKay happens to live across the road from Harbor Place — in a quiet neighborhood with ranch houses, neat hedges and driveway basketball hoops.
Not all of the residents there share her assessment.
Referring to Harbor Place as an experiment gone awry, some of MacKay’s neighbors have said it’s become a magnet for criminals and overburdens the town’s 12-officer police force. People frequently refer to an incident last spring when a fugitive heroin dealer, who had parked his car at Harbor Place, fled on foot when police arrived, prompting a chase through their neighborhood.
In a letter to the editor in the Shelburne News last May, Patty Kissell, who lives nearby, wrote that she and her neighbors, many of whom are elderly, “feel unsafe to walk and even be in their homes … I no longer go to my mailbox if I come home after dark.”
Residents also suspect that people either staying at or visiting Harbor Place have been responsible for crimes that have occurred elsewhere in town.
“There certainly seems to be a correlation between the spike in crime in Shelburne and the opening of this facility,” alleged selectboard chair Gary von Stange during an interview last week. He brought up another oft-cited incident: Last summer, items from a burglarized home were discovered in a room at Harbor Place.
Others are withholding judgment. “It’s easy to point the finger,” said Beth Quarles, a real estate agent whose family lives close to the facility. Noting that her family’s home was burglarized prior to the creation of Harbor Place, she said, “Before, you just didn’t have anyone to blame for it.”
Annual crime figures might shed some light, but Shelburne Police Chief James Warden didn’t provide the data Seven Days requested. In an interview, he said, “Crime in general in Shelburne has increased like it has in most urban areas outside the big cities.”
Last September, the Shelburne News — citing data provided by Shelburne’s emergency communications supervisor, James Mack — reported that there were 575 crimes in 2012; 395 in 2013; and 324 in 2014 — and that the town was on pace to have fewer incidents in 2015.
Warden did confirm that police calls to the cream-colored complex have increased since it became Harbor Place. In 2014, there were 185. The next “busiest” motel generated around 50.
CHT officials contend that the spike is a result of heightened vigilance. Donnelly ticked off a number of changes to address concerns: They’ve built a fence around the property, installed security cameras with a live feed to the Shelburne police and hired a security guard who stays on-site from 8 p.m. to midnight. A CHT staffer lives on the premises. The organization has taken neighbors on tours and created an “advisory committee” to work directly with them.
Whereas previous criminal activity might have gone undetected, Harbor Place employees take the initiative to alert police about suspicious behavior, Donnelly said. Plus, CHT reimburses the town for any police calls above the site’s historical average.*
Chief Warden observed that the type of criminal activity at the property has changed under the new ownership. “Back when it was the Econo Lodge, we handled a lot of calls with drug dealers coming in there, armed. We’d find people wanted out-of-state — heavy hitters like that.” Now the calls are more commonly for domestic disputes or people in emotional distress, Warden said.
Von Stange isn’t so impressed by that trend. During selectboard meetings last year, he frequently praised CHT for showing up and working with the town. These days he’s less pleased. “To date, Champlain Housing Trust has not provided any meaningful cooperation,” he told Seven Days. Asked to elaborate, von Stange noted that CHT hasn’t heeded repeated requests to adopt a stricter “screening policy” for accepting guests.
Donnelly pointed out that CHT doesn’t allow registered sex offenders at Harbor Place, and staff can ban people who break the rules. Additional screening, he suggested, could qualify as discrimination.
The town’s zoning permit challenge could also address von Stange’s concern. Before CHT purchased the property, Shelburne officials explained that as long as the nonprofit continued to operate the place as a motel, it wouldn’t have to apply for a new permit.
Then, last fall, the current town manager and zoning enforcement administrator, Joe Colangelo, issued Harbor Place a “notice of violation,” listing nine “new uses” for which it had not been approved. They include creating dwelling units, providing emergency housing, temporary housing and transitional housing, and the addition of medical and business offices.
Colangelo declined to provide more detail about the charges, but he stressed that the investigation “really has nothing to do with the population there. That has absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s simply … the use of the facility is not consistent with what is permitted for.” Translation: CHT has to reapply for a zoning permit.
CHT maintains that Harbor Place meets the town’s definition of a motel — a facility that offers “transient lodging accommodations on a daily or weekly rate, to the general public, and which may also provide additional services such as restaurants, meeting rooms or recreation facilities.”
Donnelly argued that Harbor Place only seems different because of the clientele. “People look at Harbor Place, and they see homeless people staying there, and homeless people don’t typically stay at motels,” he said. “The services are geared towards the needs of the guests of the motel. If we had wealthy guests, we may have spa or massage services.”
The debate over Harbor Place has also prompted the town to take a second look at its zoning laws, which don’t contain definitions for homeless shelters or transitional housing. And it’s jump-started a broader discussion about the economic implications of accommodating low-income populations.
At a July 28 selectboard meeting, Dan Burke, a member of the town’s planning commission, stood up and suggested that Harbor Place and other motels along Shelburne Road that put up homeless people through the state’s voucher program are discouraging businesses from setting up shop on the north-south route.
Burke proposed rewriting the town’s zoning rules to establish clear differences between motels and homeless shelters, “so we don’t get into that mess again.” Soon after, the planning commission began doing just that. The effort is ongoing.
When interviewed last week, von Stange made assurances that Shelburne wasn’t about to renege on its commitment “to help those in need.” But he defended the scrutiny of Harbor Place, saying, “Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of the selectboard to do our best to provide for the safety and peacefulness of our town.”
Donnelly praised the generosity of Shelburne residents, who, he said, have donated items and supported Harbor Place during the dispute.
State officials are watching closely as the debate plays out. “It is concerning,” said DCF’s Brown. It hasn’t dissuaded his department from encouraging other organizations to adopt models similar to Harbor Place. But, Brown added, “We recognize that these can be difficult conversations for communities to have.”
*A previous version of this story incorrectly described the Champlain Housing Trust’s arrangement with Shelburne’s ambulance services. In fact, Champlain Housing Trust has offered to pay for for ambulance calls, but those generally get billed to the hospital or to insurance.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2016.
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Unfortunately this is biased puff piece that does little to illustrate the true extent of the problems that Harbor Place has burdened Shelburne with. Problems such as increased theft from Route 7 Liquor and Deli and Kinney Drugs, broken car windows at the Automaster, numerous heroin overdosed and alcohol intoxicated individuals at Harbor Place to name only a few.
Harbor Place is the number #1 consumer of emergency services in the town of Shelburne whose number of calls is equivalent to all of the other elderly care facilities, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne Museum and Route 7 combined.
Unfortunately it does not appear that the reporter has done her due diligence reporting on the true, quantified nature of the problem at Harbor Place and instead decided to perform a qualitative assessment with biased stakeholders instead.
It’s not that the purpose of Harbor Place isn’t needed, or wanted in Shelburne. The services are sorely needed.
The problem is the management of the facility by CHT and a lack of cajones by the Town of Shelburne to work aggressively with CHT to solve the most frequent problems. Forget the useless tours and establishing advisory committees. This does not fix root cause(s).
Public safety and tapped resources are on the line, but don’t forget the people and children who have to live thru this lifestyle day after day.
You’d like to think that CHT and Town of Shelburne is much bigger and better than this!
help people….but not in MY back yard!
my taxes are too high….but a program that saves the state $700,000 a year??? not in my city!
There’s more crime in the area …..but Chief Warden observed that the type of criminal activity at the property has changed under the new ownership. “Back when it was the Econo Lodge, we handled a lot of calls with drug dealers coming in there, armed. We’d find people wanted out-of-state — heavy hitters like that.”
Willing to talk the talk but not walk the walk…..NOT IN MY BACKYARD
sad…..very sad!!!
UglyTown, do you understand what the words quantitative and qualitative mean? Did you read the story? The Shelburne Police Department declined to release statistics or any other actual evidence that there is a problem. The complaints from the Town, just like the ones in your comment, are entirely anecdotal with a not-so-subtle subtext of NIMBY-ism and xenophobia.
The term NIMBY is a perjoritve term meant to insult a person. It is used nowadays to simply cut off discussion, and dismiss a person’s concerns out of hand, valid or not. Anyone using the term is ignorant, self-centered, and believes they are always right, regardless of the information presented to them.
At one point, those opposed to nuclear power were NIMBYs. Those who cared about the environment were NIMBYs. Now those who oppose the VT Gas Pipeline are NIMBYs. Those who think our ridgelines are being devastated by roads and clearcutting for wind turbines, and birds and bats being killed, are also NIMBYs. Don’t want a highway on your front stoop and your a NIMBY. Don’t want to have to inhale second-hand cigarette smoke and your a NIMBY. Pretty soon, if you think clean water is a right, you will be termed a NIMBY.
In the right circumstances, every one is a NIMBY.
The residents of Shelburne have valid concerns, and they have repeatedly shown their generosity to Harbor Place by donating and fundraising. Don’t insult them please. You insult the concept of democracy and due process.
And I would not be surprised if the people making derrogatory postings above are employees of Champlain Housing Trust, as this organization and its affiliates now consists of hundreds of people and has become a self-perpetuating bureaucracy.
As far as the police department not being able to release immediate information, there is a process they must go through to do this. The information must also be gathered and compiled, and checked for accurracy. It then must be reviewed for privacy concerns, and then approved for release. Please know their department is already short staffed. Have you ever submitted a public records request to The City of Burlington or the State of Vermont?
Also, some data for those who do not know Shelburne (and a note to Alicia):
– The Town has FOUR mobile home parks (by contrast, South Burlington has ZERO, and Burlington has ONE).
– The Town has at least five senior housing projects (possibly more), several with low-income qualifications.
– The Town has Harrington Village, a CHT low-income housing project.
– The Town has a very active, caring, and vocal Social Services Committee, who regularly promote affordable housing issues and the needs of low-income individuals.
– The former long-time Shelburne Town Manager Paul Bohne (who retired two years ago), is a resident and had served as Champlain Housing Trust’s BOARD PRESIDENT for many years. Several other Shelburne residents currently serve on CHT’s Board of Directors.
– Shelburne’s lone two State representatives (Webb, Lenes) are left-leaning Democrats who have a long record of promoting affordable housing and social-service initiatives.
– The use of Harbor Place as motel for the homeless was supported by the Selectboard, the Planning Commission, the residents, and APPROVED by the Development Review Board.
– The Town is under intense development pressure, and census data show it to be the fastest growing community in Chittenden County.
It’s also worth noting that the City of Burlington has several hundred more million-dollar properties than the Town of Shelburne.
Liked Noelle Mackay when she worked at Smart Growth Vermont. Was surprised when she agreed to work for the Shumlin administration, given how much Shumlin has undermined smart growth with the wind/solar exemptions from Act 250 and exemptions from Governor Kunin’s Act 200 (which provides for Comprehensive plans and local zoning). Mackay should at least be applauded for putting her family and dollar where her mouth is, by living right across from the facility she is advocating for.
But I doubt this will help property values for the neighborhoods immediately adjacent to it (including Mackay’s house). Champlain Housing Trust has lost all credibility as far as many of us are concerned. They tout their projects but refuse to lift even a finger to protect existing affordable housing in neighborhoods like Winooski and South Burlington under assault from the F-35 basing. Champlain Housing Trust was asked to defend this market-rate affordable housing for working class people and they outright refused. That was when we saw their true colors. They have proven they only care about letting their big-time developer friends profit by building new units for unknown people rather than helping existing Vermonters and existing housing stock.
As for the goal of ending all family homelessness by 2020, certainly a worthy goal. . . Although some of us remember LBJ was going to end all poverty. $22 trillion of taxpayer dollars since he began the War on Poverty and there’s still plenty to go around. Or Woodrow Wilson’s argument for World War 1: the so-called war to end all wars. How did that work out?
Homelessness can happen to anyone . Including “UglyTown”. This Shelburne road is filled with car dealerships, restaurants, and all kinds of motels . Harbor Place is where many Vermonters are staying until they find their own place or their direction in life. I know who they are. Do you know who are the ones staying at other motels around? “Know Thy Enemies”.
Harbor Place , thanks to CHT, knows the community, the police officers, the social workers, the medical providers and the resources available in the community. Harbor Place is not a problem. It is a gift. Wake up!!!!!