It’s now official.
The Alma city commission voted 4-2 to formally approve a conditional rezoning agreement and ordinance change that will allow the former Warwick Living Center to be converted into a temporary home of young refugees.
The vote was the same that took place at the Sept. 14 meeting when commissioners rejected a recommendation from the planning commission to deny the request from the Michigan Masonic Home, owner of the facility.
Commissioners Roxann Harrington, Audra Stahl, Nick Piccolo and Roger Allman voted in favor of the change, while Michelle Pitts and Daniel Wenick were opposed.
Mayor Greg Mapes once again recused himself from voting due to his 40-year affiliation with the FreeMasons.
The zoning will be changed from a Multi-Family Residential District to a Campus Institutional District.
The move now allows the Masonic Home to lease the building to Grand Rapids-based Bethany Christian Services to open a transitional assessment center for up to 36 unaccompanied male refugees ages 12 to 17 from the southern U.S. border and house them for up to 45 days.
Under terms of the three-year lease BCS will pay the Masonic Home $385,000 annually for use of the facility.
While staying at the center, BSC will provide the youth with meals, sleeping quarters, educational classes, individual counseling, recreation activities and around the clock supervision.
Agency officials have stated they plan to hire about 50 employees to staff the facility.
Tuesday’s vote means ‘the zoning is all done,” according to interim City Manager Aeric Ripley.
“It will become official seven days after the (city) clerk publishes it in the local newspaper,” he said. “All (BCS) has to do now is pull a building permit for some interior modifications to accommodate the new use.”
The vote ends a five month saga that caused a lot of division in the community, with vocal supporters on both sides of the issue.
Recall petitions have been filed against Harrington, Stahl and Piccolo. Petition language has been approved by the Gratiot County Election Commission but all three have filed appeals in 29th Circuit Court in an effort to get the decision overturned.
A hearing on the matter has yet to be scheduled.
BCS officials stated earlier that it hopes to have the building renovations complete and begin accepting refugees by the end of the year.
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October 27, 2021 at 11:30PM
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Refugee center clears final Alma hurdle - The Morning Sun
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