The Appleton City Plan Commission voted Oct. 22 to approve a special-use permit request from St. Joe's Congregation of Appleton to operate a seasonal emergency shelter at 404 West Lawrence Street, forwarding the measure to the Common Council for final approval on Nov. 5.

City staff and the applicant said the shelter would operate in the lower level of the Solanus Casey House. City staff presented a plan of operation and a post-walkthrough list of required safety and building upgrades and recommended approval subject to conditions that require compliance with those items.

City staff member Don Hart said the application meets the zoning criteria for a shelter in the Central Business District and summarized the conditions the commission should attach. "All applicable codes, ordinances, and regulations, including but not limited to fire, building, health, noise ordinance, and the plan of operation shall be complied with," Hart said. He listed upgrades identified in a staff letter after a site walkthrough, including carbon-monoxide detectors with strobe and sound components, other fire-safety work, possible HVAC upgrades and submission of design plans and permits for city review. Hart also said the property currently has a sprinkler system and that the Appleton Fire Department will post the facility occupancy after staff reviews finalized plans.

The plan of operation filed with the city describes the shelter operating November through April with hours from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.; it lists an estimated maximum occupancy of up to 40 people. In public comment, Steve Wurger, who identified himself as a parish council member and part of the nonprofit set up to run the shelter, said the congregation intends to operate as an emergency warming shelter and expects to open only on extreme-cold nights. "We will not be open every single night, only those nights where the temperature is going to fall below 10 degrees," Wurger said, adding that last winter that threshold applied to about 30 nights between December and April.

Nearby business owners asked the commission to add or clarify conditions addressing safety and sanitation in the alley that serves the shelter entrance. Kyle Willenkamp, owner of 427 West College Avenue and speaking for neighboring businesses and property owners, urged mandatory alley lighting, surveillance and daily cleanup by the shelter operator to reduce loitering, vandalism, unauthorized dumpster use and trash accumulation. "We wholly acknowledge the critical need for shelter services and we are grateful for the commitment the St. Joe's congregation is making," Willenkamp said. "We respectfully urge the planning commission and city council to include adjacent alleyway safety and monitoring as conditions of the special use permit to ensure the safety, security, and cleanliness of the public alleyway and neighboring private property."

Hart said the plan of operation addresses staffing for intake and monitoring of camera feeds; volunteers will monitor the intake process so guests are ushered onto the property rather than hanging out in the public right-of-way. Hart said the plan also ties lighting to camera effectiveness and that staff will require necessary lighting and camera placement when permits and plans are submitted.

Commission discussion emphasized the need for ongoing communication between neighbors and the shelter operator. The Plan Commission then voted to approve the special-use permit; Commissioner Carpenter recorded an abstention. The commission's approval sends the item to the Appleton Common Council, which is scheduled to consider final approval at its Nov. 5 meeting. If the council approves, the resolution will be signed and staff will follow up with St. Joe's Congregation to complete the required permits and code upgrades before shelter operations may begin.

The plan contains a standard local-code stipulation that a special-use permit expires if the use is not active for more than 12 consecutive months; staff said the congregation must comply with all permit conditions before opening the shelter to overnight stays.