THOUSAND OAKS : Group Petitions for Homeless Center

A group of Thousand Oaks church leaders is circulating a petition in support of a proposal to establish a daytime drop-in center for the homeless.

“Many (of the homeless) are our neighbors and have been members of our communities for years,” said James Kinville, a member of the Conejo Homeless Assistance Program, the group that hopes to establish a drop-in center at 3059 Willow Lane. “It’s a place where they can come and get some of their needs fulfilled.”

Kinville said he did not know how many signatures have been gathered.

The center will house showers, mailboxes and serve as a place where the homeless can get information on social services. It will not house a shelter.

But the group’s plans have upset residents and business owners on Willow Lane, a residential and commercial area bordering the Ventura Freeway.

At a City Council meeting last month, neighbors submitted a petition with 64 signatures that asked for council members to reject the group’s plans. The council continued the hearing to an unspecified date.

But members of the homeless assistance group promised to meet with residents to resolve their concerns before the council reviews their plans again.

Willow Lane residents said they fear that the center will attract homeless people to the neighborhood, damage property values and increase crime.

Jim Widick, who lives across the street from the site of the proposed center, said he was upset that center supporters have not addressed neighbors’ fears. “They haven’t even talked with us yet,” he said.

Kinville said his group is not yet ready to bring the plan to the residents. He said he expects a meeting will be scheduled before mid-September.