A zoning bylaw complaint lodged against the overflow shelter has been addressed following an independent investigation, but Sarnia's mayor would still like to see the site closed soon for the sake of area residents.
A brief zoning compliance update was posted to the City of Sarnia's website on September 15, following an in-camera session held before the regular council meeting.
Mayor Mike Bradley told Sarnia News Today the complaint regarding 837-841 Exmouth Street (the former Laurel-Lea St. Matthew's Presbyterian Church) accused the owner and occupier of not complying with the city's bylaws by not operating as a church.
"There was an investigation by bylaw (enforcement), which is an arm's length of council, and the report has come back saying they are now functioning, or have been functioning as a church, which means that we cannot proceed further as it relates to enforcement on that property," said Bradley.
The County of Lambton, in partnership with Sarnia's Inn of the Good Shepherd, initially launched the "Out of the Cold" emergency shelter program at the Exmouth Street site in early 2023 as a seasonal initiative.
The site was later deemed an overflow emergency shelter and homelessness resource centre.
According to the city's bylaw definitions, a "church" is considered a place of worship, and a "place of worship" is defined as a building or structure primarily used by religious organizations but may include community uses, such as an emergency shelter.
"I know that's a nuance," said Bradley. "It didn't appear to be operating still as a church but they produced evidence that they were."
Bradley said he, personally, would prefer for the county to set a "time and date" for when the emergency shelter will close. He plans to bring it up during a meeting with Warden Kevin Marriott on Wednesday afternoon.
"When is the exit date to close that particular operation? So the neighbourhood can get relief and go back to having some [normalcy]," Bradley said.
Sarnia News Today received an anonymous email in the spring about the zoning bylaw complaint. At the time, city staff were unable to confirm if a complaint had officially been filed and what it specifically pertained to.
Bradley said he's unsure if it was one complaint or multiple that were filed.
"The complaints are confidential," he said. "What I do know from dealing with the neighbourhood, it was probably more than one concern or complaint about it. The city is honour-bound to investigate any bylaw complaint like this and there was a thorough investigation done, and at the end of that, the evidence was that it was continuing to operate to some degree as a church so they were not subject to enforcement actions."
Residents in the area, represented by the Melrose Community Group, have openly voiced their displeasure with the overflow shelter, citing safety concerns.
An open letter from the community group, sent in late May, again called for the shelter's closure - which was supposed to be short-term - and for the appeal process regarding the site to be stopped.
The Exmouth Street property was eyed earlier this year as a possible location for affordable housing. However, city council voted against official plan and rezoning bylaw amendments so the Board of the Inn of the Good Shepherd filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal.
In July, city staff were directed to begin settlement negotiations.
