Restart reacts to Lenexa Planning Commission's stance on new homeless center

Nonprofit Restart Inc. was hoping for a different outcome at Lenexa Planning Commission's meeting on Monday night, when commission members recommended the city deny a Special Use Permit for a new homeless service center under the management of the nonprofit.

"Definitely disappointed for sure," Restart Inc. CEO Stephanie Boyer said.

The planning commission outlined four areas of concern regarding their decision.

“Staff applauds the work that Project 1020 and Restart do for the unhoused, and we understand the need to address homelessness in the county, but the impact of this one area is already realized and is too great at this location in staff's opinion," a member of the commission said at the meeting on Monday night.

The planning commission also noted the timeline of the project, police funding and inconsistency with the surrounding area — at the La Quinta Inn near West 95th Street and Interstate 35 — as reasons for their recommendation.

Al Miller/KSHB

Boyer said there have been nine meetings with the city and three rounds of comments over the last three months regarding the project.

"The concerns that were in there were never brought up in any conversation, which was disappointing because I feel like everything has a solution," Boyer said.

Johnson County Board of County Commissioners President Mike Kelly expressed his "disappointment" in the commission's decision in a statement on Tuesday:

"There has never been this amount of community consensus on the problem of homelessness in Johnson County and the need to address it now, while it is at a manageable level. I appreciate that the majority of public opinion, as expressed by Lenexa residents, cities, the faith community, and social service providers has been supportive of this innovative approach to fill a much-needed gap in serving unhoused adults.

At this time, the county is weighing all options, which will be discussed among the full board," the statement read in part.

Boyer says Restart is already working to address the commission's concerns.

She says Restart sees a way forward because there's a widening gap in Johnson County's homeless services.

"There is no solution for single adults, and there’s a need for about 50 beds of shelter, and there’s a need for some additional increased transitional housing," she said.

The proposed homeless service center would differ from traditional shelters.

It would offer 50 non-congregate rooms for single adults for up to three months and 25 studio apartments for 24 months.

On-site mental health services would be included and case management would be required.

Residents would need to be referred to the center by the county, which helps ensure services are only offered to those from Johnson County.

“Ninety percent of the people that we work with in this way exit to a safe, stable housing situation," Boyer said.

Boyer said Restart is working to address some misinformation she's heard in conversations surrounding the proposed center.

“It is not an immigration center," she said. "We heard that brought up a couple of times.”

The center would be a alcohol, drug and weapon-free environment.

Boyer said Restart would consider other options — potentially another site — to use the funds allocated by the county for this project.

The City of Lenexa will make its final decision on the fate of the proposed homeless service center on Sept. 17. If the city council wants to overturn the planning commissions recommendation, it will need a majority vote — at least six out of nine.

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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily .