Homeless Shelter in Old Ashburn Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

#	Name	Comments
451	Brenda Dickerson
452	Anonymous	This is a small town feel community. Prisoners should go home not into old town Ashburn. Who is thinking about the school kids that are riding their bikes and going to the numerous elementary school??? Say NO to a shelter in Ashburn. What about my property values????
453	Karan Powell
454	David Powell
455	Erik Powell
456	Janelle Petti
457	Fred Persing	I will personally canpaign against every politition who touched this.
458	Gerhard Kaselow	What will be done to ensure the security of businesses and residences in the old Ashburn area??? The busses MUST return all the homeless, parolees, drug addicts, mentally ill, and others back to where they boarded the busses. And the above mentioned bussed people MUST be supervised while in old Ashburn. OTHERWISE BUILD THE SHELTER IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
459	Renee Peluso	Busing homeless into Ashburn with no place to live is problematic. This obviously has not been thought through. If you have a shelter, it should provide just that, shelter. A place to help someone get free room and board and get back on their feet, that is what is needed. This program is a recipe for trouble.
460	Nancy Neiderer
461	James Champion
462	Jane Marks
463	Tom Marks
464	Patricia Iund	I do not feel this type shelter belongs in the Ashburn Area. It is one thing if we had a homeless problem in this neighboorhood to help, but it is a different issue to bus in those with challenges.
465	Teri Kelleher	Myself and my husband DO NOT want this in Ashburn! There are too many children to be concerned about. We have lived here 17 years and I have NEVER seen a homeless person in our neighborhood.Why import? I have seen neighbors take in sex offenders, only to be jailed for more offenses...definatly NOT IN MY BACKYARD!!! Think what you like! But do not allow this to happen!
466	Anonymous	Who monitors strictly the aftermath activities performed by homeless/recently released prisoners/drug addicts/mentally ill personalities. The impacted people are current residents due to this kind of hosting. Constructing a privacy wall separating 'old Ashburn' with the 'Village' may be suggested to safe guard the village residents. In any case this idea is nothing but to truely spoil the neighbourhood community.
467	JANICE SCHLAF	I have some concerns about this and the proximity to schools and children.
468	Kai Johns	Why should we place our community's welfare in danger by putting recovering drug addicts, mentally ill and prisoners responsible for doing who knows what, in their midst.
469	Anonymous	Agreed, this should not be located in the heart of Old Ashburn. I have a daughter that dances adjacent to this location and I am concerned about her safety. This is not an appropriate location for this kind of establishment!
470	Michelle Buckner
471	Bill Buckner
472	Jennifer Long
473	Sheila and Mike Burke	We definitely do not want a Homeless Shelter in Old Ashburn.
474	Kate Trotter
475	Anonymous	While I approve of the thought and idea , I do not approve of the location.
476	Jill Cheretis	How are the homeless going to be transported at the end of the day? Many of these facilities in downtown DC have various people sleeping outside in stairways of businesses. Also, if anyone of the people come in for help are registered sex offenders, how will we be informed. Both my children ride bikes in that area during summer months. What if the homeless have nowhere to sleep at night - who will be taking them in, or where will they go? I rather they have a building to sleep in, than be put outside sleeping in our streets. With all the vacant warehouse space near AOL, why does this have to be within walking distance of an elementary school?
477	David Horn
478	Anonymous
479	Timothy Murphy
480	Patti Cantor
481	Anonymous	Oh, my. Who is making these ridiculous decisions? I would love to serve the homeless and help those in need. So let's open a shelter WHERE THERE ARE HOMELESS PEOPLE! If it wasn't so irresponsible and dangerous, it would be funny. Can't you just hear it now? "Hey - there's room for a shelter in Ashburn. What? No hopeless people? Well, we'll just waste more money and resources and bus them in!" Spectacular display of intelligence. Oh, wait! Who is that hiding in the trees at the Dinosuar playground right around the corner? Well, a recently released prisoner that was BUSSED IN! Oh - and who is that on the bike trail? Just someone camping out - maybe waiting for the bus to take him/her back - where? Sterling? Herndon? Does it matter? The trail is so beautiful it would make a perfect place to live! Please, this is ludicrous. A shelter this far West does not serve anyone. It needs to be where it is easily accesible to those in need. Chairty is only charity if it's needed. Giving a wealthy man money isn't charity. And giving a homeless shelter to a community w/out homeless people IS ALSO NOT CHARITY. Authentic charity is setting up assistance programs where the problems actually stem from. So let's get our heads screwed on the right way, stop preaching, start thinking and do this the right way.
482	Jackie Finch
483	Kim Gabaldon
484	Jake Sanderson	Well it appears WE WON and our petition worked. The Good Shepherd Alliance has announced today that they will not house any sort of drop off center at the Ashburn location. It seems the County will take over this function at a yet to be determined location. The Good Shepherd Alliance Ashburn center will now only be a thrift shop and business office for the staff. So it appears this issue is finally resolved to everyones satisfaction. All is well that ends well
485	Irene Kennedy	If the Social Services offices are in Leesburg, and the Free Clinic is in Leesburg, and the jail is in Leesburg, why should there be a homeless shelter in Ashburn? Resources used for transportation to a from these services could be better utilized if the shelter were in Leesburg.
486	Nick	Not only must the facility not be allowed to open but the thrift shop should be stopped. They claim that they screen their "clients" but will allow anyone in the Thrift Shop. They are nothing but a bunch of liars. Make your voice heard on Nov 1 !!!!!!
487	Anonymous
488	Anonymous	NO Shelter in Ashburn!
489	Kelli & Matt Lightkep
490	Jay Maanaoui	Please not here.
491	Gretchen Hutula	I am signing this petition to express that I do NOT approve of bussing homeless people into a shelter in Old Ashburn.
492	Vern McKinley	I think the county has to relook at any prior zoning approvals, given that this facility does not meet the common meaning of a "community center" and it also should be scrutinized by the Board of Supervisors per 2-904 of the Zoning Ordinance.
493	Susan Stephen	No, I do not approve of the new homeless shelter in the heart of Ashburn. Are there that many homeless in Ashburn... one of the riches county in the nation? Vote the supervisor and the board member out asap.
494	Anonymous
495	Richard	This is an unsuitable location for the reasons many have stated, including safety for the residents and access for the center's customers. There are plenty of non-residential areas nearby that would have easier access and would not present the same risks. Furthermore, by pushing ahead with this development, GSA (and Toll Brothers) are alienating many in the Ashburn community.
496	Anonymous	GSA must be stopped from going forward as planned.
497	Anonymous	Because of community opposition, Good Shepherd Alliance has abandoned plans to operate a drop-in center for the homeless at a building in Ashburn, the group's executive director said today. They will simpy operate a thrift store in whcih all donations will be used for the needy in the community. As well as house their business offices at the Ashburn location.... WE WIN... WE WIN. Now lets STOP the attacking from both sides. It appears a solution for the BEST of both parties have been worked out. It is time for the HATE to STOP now. Please for our kids at least. Good Shepherd, a Christian nonprofit, broke ground last week on the Center of Hope, a facility on Ashburn Road that was supposed to house the non-profit’s administrative offices, a thrift store and a daytime drop-in center where the homeless could grab a meal or receive job information and referrals to social services. But some Ashburn residents started a petition drive last week opposing the drop-in center, saying they feared it would bring drug addicts, criminals and the mentally ill to Ashburn. Do you support Good Shepherd Alliance's decision to abandon plans for a homeless drop-in center in Ashburn? Yes. This was the wrong location. No. Loudoun needed a facility like this. See the results without voting » Since then, Good Shepherd officials have met with Loudoun County Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) and county staff members to discuss the possibility of opening a drop-in center at another location and having it run by the county rather than by the nonprofit, said Lyle Werner, the group's executive director. "We are talking to the county about them doing a drop-in center," Werner said. "It is desperately needed." INTERNET ENHANCED Related Stories Oct. 25 -- Drop-In Site For Homeless Stirs Passions Oct. 20 -- Breaking New Ground for the Homeless Related Blogs Homeless Debate Continues with GSA Response and Petition Loudoun's Homeless -- Some Say NIMBY! Good Shepherd currently offers daytime drop-in services for the homeless at its administrative office on Sycolin Road in Leesburg, but it plans to close the Leesburg facility when it moves into the Ashburn building. Werner said county staff members are amenable to the idea of a county-run drop-in center and have identified a possible location in a non-residential area of Leesburg. She said she hoped another center would open in time to avoid any interruption in services. The Ashburn building, in addition to the offices and thrift store, will offer services to homeless women and families by appointment only, Werner said. Good Shepherd officials have said it may open as early as January. Waters will host a community meeting about the Center of Hope at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Ashburn Elementary School, 44062 Fincastle Drive. Good Shepherd officials will also attend.
498	Anonymous	Now that GSA has agreed not to have the drop in center and let the County run this service. And limit this site to the Thrift store and business offices for the staff. This is GREAT for our community to have in Ashburn. Thanks to all that made this happen. it is so great too see the Ashburn community come together with a solution. it was sad to see all of the hate being spread around. Alls well that ends well. We got what we want and the GSA is able to provide their much needed services to the community in a safe manner.
499	Laura Pearson
500	Anonymous	The risks far outweigh the benefits here. This doesn't make sense. It just takes ONE incident of someone not making the bus out of Ashburn or wandering on/off the bike path...it is not worth the risk. Yes, these people need help but in an area that is beneficial to them and not potentially harmful to taxpaying residents. Something seems fishy here.