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Every effort on my part has been made to solve the zoning issue of where the South Oakland Shelter can legally locate in Ferndale and no other city. NIMBY is not my perspective and has never been my opinion or anyone in the organization ZIP (Zoning Integrity Protection). Moreover, we have found a great location in a zoning district in Ferndale where SOS can legally locate with no further appeals, variances, public meeting, etc. It is with 2 other charitable organizations which would be great partners for SOS in possibly helping those who need jobs to find them right next door in another charity-based business.
The media has been characterizing us as ‘fearful residents reacting to myths about the homeless’. This is not the truth. We are not fearful of the homeless or needy who are served by the shelter. Truth is not based on bias but on facts. Bias and political motives should never be the foundations on which decisions are made that require the rule of law. We ask all those involved with representing this issue and those who will make decisions serve the greater good of impartial justice. James Madison considered to be the most significant contributor to the Constitution of the United States wrote: “Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government that alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man whatever is his own.”
Fact #1 The Zoning Ordinances of Ferndale prohibits the South Oakland Shelter from operating its non-profit corporation at The First Baptist Church of Ferndale.
Fact #2 SOS is a federally funded non-profit corporation which also accepts contributions from churches and synagogues. These contributors do not make it religious. The Board has created it to be non-religious so they may receive funding from the government as well as churches and synagogues.
Fact #3 First Baptist is religious and as such may enjoy the freedom to exercise its
First Amendment Rights in this great country and great city where it has done so since 1927.
Fact #4 The City of Ferndale along with every governmental board it encompasses has a responsibility to its residents and businesses to uphold the law impartially. The laws are designed without bias and are applicable to everyone who resides in the city. The city has a compelling interest to not weigh one group’s rights over another when it comes to review and lawful decision making. Fact 5# There are Police Reports with officers requested to come to the physical address of the South Oakland Shelter at 431 North Main Street on file with the Royal Oak Police Department. Those calls include by the ROPD’s own classification system: Disorderly Conduct 5311, Unwanted person L3501, Family Trouble C3310 & Neighborhood Trouble C3312, Animal Complaint-Large dead rats in alley C3804, Suspicious Persons, C3332, Peace Officer Duties C3341, Missing Person + Crime Report 3314, Child Neglect + Crime Report 3806, Welfare Check woman/child left at Shelter L3514, Intimidation Crime Report 1316, and All Other ordinance violation 7399 Mail Tampering. Fact #6 These 17 Police Reports were made available to the news media and no one has the courage to print any word about them. Fact #7 Mr. Vince Boji, the administrator of a charitable food bank, Hand of Grace, recently located in a large building in a properly zoned district for charities is interested in meeting South Oakland Shelter representatives, Kevin Roach the Director and Larry Murphy, Pres. Of the Board. They have been introduced to each other by letter and Mr. Boji awaits their reply. This possibility of locating in Ferndale with Hand of Grace and written introduction was facilitated by ZIP (Zoning Integrity Protection).
Patti Ashmore, ZIP Chairman
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