socaliganbear said:
Chapman_is_Gone said:
UrsaMajor said:
ColoradoBear said:
Do it!
There might be some huge protest, but going forward it's what's best.
it's a solid plan; there will also be some park left and a "memorial" to PP. While I'm sure there will be some protesting, with Jesse and Worthington behind it (i.e., the progressive wing of Berkeley government), my guess is that the protesting will be limited.
A correction to Hanky's post: right now there are dorms next to or near homeless. By definition, if we build the housing, the people there WON'T BE HOMELESS. Now if your concern is that students shouldn't be allowed to be near poorer people, that's a different thing...
Homelessness has little to do with poverty. It is all about hard core drug use, and/or mental illness, and/or criminal anti-social behvior. It is incredibly inappropriate to locate shelter for vagrants close to a bunch of 18 year old college freshman.
The entire parcel should be developed for students, and it should be made clear from day 1 that any protesting of construction will not be tolerated.
There is already a dorm directly across the street from PP, maybe 15 feet away. Turns out students are a lot less pearl clutchy. Now they get more housing and PP is gone? Sounds great.
Also, this isn't like some emergency shelter they're putting up. Supportive housing apartments are generally for the most at risk, elderly, women, children, abuse victims etc. Not just some drunk off the street who wants a place to crash for the night.
You beat me to the punch.
The Maximimo Martinez dorm is across the street from People's Park at present.
There are already a large number of homeless camping within 50 feet of that dorm. The sanitary accommodations are atrocious for them and not terribly safe for them and any nearby students.
I would prefer that the dorm be built and that 100 homeless get safe and sanitary housing. And that the criminal element be reduced.
It is a win for the homeless; a win for the students; a win for the University; a win for the nearby merchants; and a win for the City. Win-win-win-win-win. How con you beat that.