A town meeting for the planned Access Center in Lodi has been scheduled for this Thursday September 2, 2021. Learn about the guidelines and locations considered here.
The public meeting (town meeting) for the proposed Access Center will be located in Kirst Hall at Hutchins Street Square from 7:00pm – 9:00pm on Thursday September 2, 2021. Potential locations will be discussed during the meeting.
Read the full press release for the Town Meeting from the City of Lodi.
The Access Center is another name given to the previously discussed navigation center as a long-term solution for homeless citizens. It is named the Access Center because it is said to provide a gateway to:
All
Community
Counseling
Employment/Empowerment
Sobriety
Shelter/Support Services
At this time there is no set location for the Access Center. City staff has considered the following factors while choosing potential sites:
- Proximity to single family residential
- Proximity to parks and schools
- Proximity to community resources (retail, groceries, etc.)
- Availability and proximity of social service resources
- Availability and proximity of transportation options
The City currently owns 128 parcels, 47 of which met the minimum acreage requirement of 1.4 acres, 13 of those 47 parcels are not currently being used, and five of those 13 met other minimum requirements not listed on the press release. The press release stated that staff had eliminated three sites for environmental hazards and were left with two, yet three sites were still listed as potential locations for the Access Center
- Pixley Basin (Auto Center Dr. side)
- Century Blvd surplus right-of-way
- 710 N Sacramento Street
Furthermore, there was recent controversy surrounding the Sacramento Street location after City Manager Steve Schwabauer stated that the location was pulled from the August 4th City Council meeting due to Vice Mayor Mark Chandler potentially having a conflict of interest with a property in the area. That property is San Joaquin Sulfur, which is owned by Vice Mayor Chandler’s father-in-law. Vice Mayor Chandler also stated that an investment group wanted to turn the Sacramento Street location into an indoor sports venue, which would create jobs and revenue for the city.
Thurman Street near Guild Ave was removed from consideration because a portion of the parcel is intended for an expansion of Lodi’s electric utility infrastructure. The environmental concern eliminated the site as an option. Other sites will be discussed during the meeting on September 2nd.
There is also talk of turning the hotels / boarding houses on Main Street into the Access Center. The Grapevine previously spoke with City Council Member Shak Khan regarding these properties during a sit-down interview earlier this year.
To attend the September 2nd public meeting, the following guidelines must be followed:
- A facemask must be worn properly at all times by all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Please visit California Department of Public Health website for any exemptions
- All individuals must maintain social distancing of a minimum of six feet from anyone not living in your household (seating will be pre-arranged).
- Hand sanitizer will be available and located at the entrance.
What you should know before attending:
- Seating will be limited to allow for social distancing
- All questions and comments will need to be held until the end of the presentation
- Public comment will be held to a maximum of 3 minutes per speaker. In order to ensure everyone that would like to speak has an opportunity, this time limit will be followed.
- Considering the limitations of available seating it is encouraged that only one member of any household or organization be present to provide public comment.
- Microphones will be brought to each speaker to avoid a communally shared podium, and the microphones will be held by a volunteer to avoid excessive contact.
- For the health and safety of others in attendance, please do not attend if you are feeling unwell or have a known exposure to COVID-19.
