Notion of tiny home village moves forward

A conditional use permit for a dozen-unit tiny home village for young adults at risk of being homeless got the nod Wednesday night from Lewiston’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

The commission directed city staff to write a memorandum about its decision that will come before the commission again before it’s final.The decision can be appealed to the Lewiston City Council.

The commission ruled that the proposal of the LC Valley Youth Resource Center met criteria for the conditional use permit in the M-1 or light industrial zone such as filling a community need, not creating hazardous conditions and not causing additional nuisances.

At this stage, children who age out of foster care or the center when they turn 18 years old have no established place to go. The center provides services such as free housing and meals for kids 12 to 17.

The drug- and alcohol-free village for 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds would be fenced, supervised by staff members 24 hours a day and have numerous security cameras to ensure that residents and employees were the only ones who had access to the homes.

All of the residents would undergo fingerprinting for criminal background checks. No one with sex offenses or drug or violent felonies would be allowed, said Michelle King, a founder of the not-for-profit center.

Given the high demand for the housing in this category, only young people who were highly motivated to follow the village’s rules such as being employed, attending school or looking for work would live there, King said.

The tiny homes would be constructed at 2207 E. Main St., on land once used as a city park adjacent to the Twin County United Way building that would be sold to the LC Valley Resource Center and remodeled into a community room for the village.

The important role the property played in the lives of residents when it was a park was referenced by many of the neighbors who testified against the tiny home village. One woman remembered how it was a place where kids would gather to play and do homework.

They also raised concerns about issues such as having dangerous people living near them and the possibility that a better spot existed for the development.

The commission was told by city staff that turning the land back into a park and a potential different place for the village were issues that fell outside of the criteria for the conditional use permit.

While the commission ruled in favor of the conditional use permit, one member, Maureen Anderson, said she had concerns about if it would be harmonious with the neighborhood since not a single neighbor testified for it.

During the hearing, Anderson said, she heard a lot about the loss of an amenity from the neighbors.

The decision not to operate the area as a park was made by the city, not the LC Valley Resource Center, a long time ago, said Cynthia Ball, the chairperson of the commission.

Williams can be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.