I think the Merrifield location is a good one, near Metro and in a building that is available. I think they can alter the intake hours a little for the shelter, so that the homeless are not lining up when the kids are entering or leaving school. The school concern could be a legitimate one, I guess. We have to live in harmony with our poor neighbors as well as our wealthy ones. The Lamb Center is not in the safest location right now for people who arrive on foot.

I prefer the Metro-accessible location for the Lamb Center. It makes more sense.

I believe it is Jesus who once said, "the poor you will always have with you..."?

I live not too far from the Vienna Metro and the clients from the Lamb Center sometimes hoof it from the Metro station past my neighborhood. To me, the fact that many are coming on Metro and hiking to the Lamb Center across very pedestrian unfriendly intersections indicates they are not "Fairfax City's problem," but that the the Lamb Center in Fairfax City is currently helping people in need from a broader area of Fairfax County and perhaps beyond that.

I have volunteered in a shelter in Old Town for some time. It is located near some extremely pricey homes and businesses. It is also located close enough to walk safely from King Street Metro. I've heard of few, if any, problems.

I think people need to meet the clientele before they fear them. Just because you and I can afford a house and all the food we need, doesn't mean everyone is as lucky as we are. We have to have compassion for those who are homeless or struggling.

We don't have that many locations that will serve well for shelters, especially since our real estate is still so pricey.
I would like to know ALL the reasons Fairfax City had in choosing the location at Dunn Loring. I would also like to know alternatives they looked at that might serve the needs of the shelter's clients.

I think this proposed location must be a safer walk for the shelter's clients than exists now. Fairfax Circle and Lee Highway are terrifying for pedestrians. Dunn Loring is crowded too, but a tad easier to walk around. It would help to know all options that were considered.

I agree with the comments above that the hours of the shelter could be modified to accommodate the homeless and the neighbors, including the middle school.

The Lamb Center is not open at night now and I do not expect that to change after the move. I am sure some reasonable accommodations can be made that will serve the needs of the shelters' clients and the community.

Allow me to give you the perspective of someone who lives across the street from the proposed location in Merrifield.

There is a school bus stop across from the center. The metro is about 1.5 miles away. Not exactly easy access.

The center is a block from 2 bars and an ABC store and 0.5 miles from a 7-11 (on the way to the Metro no less). The landscape is the same as the current location, which the director of the program described as "not a suitable location".

It is easy to suggest a center like this go in someone elses neighborhood and I hope that the three people who posted think about that. We moved to this neighborhood to avoid crime and crime is what is associated with this center -just google Times Community police reports and you'll see.

We may not be homeless, but we are not all rich. My wife and I both work full time and I work a second job part time to pay an interest-only loan on a 2 bedroom condo. We are not rich. We just want a safe neighborhood to raise a family..same as most people. Please don't support this location. Get all the facts and you will understand.

I live in Merrifield down the street from the proposed relocation. My sister lives near the current Lamb Center in Fairfax City. We've experienced firsthand the loitering, panhandling, and have been approached by very aggressive homeless people at businesses surrounding the center.

What we're worried about is not the people in the center, but those that are drawn to the center in hopes of a meal or shower and turned away. The Lamb Center does screen people and their policy will not allow intoxicated or other people they deem unsafe into the facility. They turn these people away into the neighborhood. These transient individuals are the people we are concerned of. Unfortunately, the Lamb Center does not, nor will they ever be able to prevent these individuals from coming to their facility.

The media is doing a fine job portraying the center in a good light, and I agree they provide a good service. However, there are over 10 recorded arrests of persons with no listed address made by Fairfax City Police at or around the Lamb Center for assault, trespassing, destruction of property, and other offenses. That doesn't count when the police were required but didn't result in an arrest.

Between 60-90 people per day use the center. The new location is three times larger. More people will visit the center. How many more people will be turned away? How many acts of violence will happen towards local homeowners or their property?

The building purchased in Merrifield is in a high density residential area. There are more homes nearby than at its present location. Within 2 blocks is an ABC store and numerous bars and grocers selling beer and wine.

This is not a homeless shelter, it's a center run by Truro and other local Churches. Regardless of the time the center closes, homeless people will need to find a place to sleep. Where do you think they'll go?

There has to be a better solution than relocating the Lamb Center to the proposed location on Telestar Court.

Wasn't there a hearing last night? What happened?

Diane is absolutley right-- the new proposed location is a high-density area with several residential communities just a stone's throw away.

Although the building itself might be bigger in order to accommodate more people, its surroundings are far from ideal.

The Executive director of the Lamb Center, Bob Wyatt, was quoted as saying "Most of the clients are non-violent". This obviously implies that some of them ARE, in fact, violent. There is a school bus stop literally across the street from the center, where children wait for the bus before the Lamb center would open and are dropped off after the Lamb center closes. This means that groups of small children will be exposed to this violence.

Additionally, reports of violence and disorderly conduct are well documented at the current center.

I also wonder why the City of Fairfax paid 73% ABOVE the assessed value for that property and did not even notify the Merrifield community of this decision. If the City thinks that the Lamb center would be an asset to Merrifield, then why the high dollar amount? Why the secrecy? Why the rush to push it through?

The Lamb Center does not work with people who are under the influence of alchol or who are abusing drugs. They are turned away. So, then, where do these folks go? If they are turned away by the center, they are free to wander to the nearby liquor store, bars, and residential communities.

Clearly, this decision was made in haste. Thankfully, Merrifield residents are trying their best to work with the Lamb Center and the City to identify a more appropriate location in a non-residential area.

It's very concerning to think that this proposed "day shelter" is going to be moving to Merrifield. As people have already said this isn't on any major transportaion arteries. Where is the bus stop? A 10 minute walk through the local community and past numerous bars, a liquor store, past the schools and the school bus stops (elementary school age). Where is the metro station? Over 25 minutes walk away!

Granted many of the Lamb Center's homeless aren't violent BUT they attract other homeless individuals who don't qualify for access. What happens to those poor individuals? They are thrown out onto the street without a second glance. Forgotten and left in the community to panhandle, urinate and defecate the neighborhood. Is this the way we want to treat people?

The Lamb Center belongs in an area where the local residents won't be affected by the unwanted elements it draws. Tom Riley, Truro's project manager for the Lamb Center admits that the homeless "just found us" (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fairfaxfocus/2006/03/fairfax_city_homeless_shelter.html). Unfortunately they are going to find the new location and endanger their new community.

What is even worse is that Merrifield does not have a police sub-station. The nearest one is 6.5 miles away... In the City of Fairfax it's only 1.5 miles away. Is the Lamb Center going to pay for a County Police Station to be built?

Maybe the City of Fairfax should since it seems they can afford to pay 73% above the assessed value. What a waste of tax money for the Citizens of the City of Fairfax. Why do I worry when "it's not my tax dollars"? Elected officials have a fiduciary responsibility to their community and reckless overspending raises red flags.

Thank you to the Merrifield Citizens Association who have allowed all the residents and businesses of Merrifield to come together. Keep up the good work.

I live in Merrifield too and am very familiar with the landscape. I want to shed light on a key PROBLEM with the MERRIFIELD location: This location will force its homeless visitors, many suffering with alcohol addictions, to walk past an ABC liquor store on the way to the nearest bus stop on Lee Highway. Temptation as strong as this will undermine the Lamb Centers counseling efforts and is doing its alcoholic visitors a severe diservice.

I'm also curious about the lack of police protection for Merrifield. The current Center's location on Fairfax Circle is just 1.5 miles away rom the police station that protects it. Merrifield is served by the McLean County substation a full 6.5 miles away from Merrifield, we all know how long a response could be during rush hour on our highly congested roads!

Merrifield Citizens are not fearful of the Lamb Center's homeless, we're fearful of the violent homeless the Center attracts and chooses not to treat! No one can deny the police reports that exist involving the current location.

Hey I just found this: www.merrifieldcitizens.com
The website has a lot of info on it.

Can someone tell me if Fairfax City considered any other locations and what those locations were??? (And why they were rejected?)

I do agree with the citizens who are upset that Fairfax City seems to have bought this property in haste and without talking to the neighbors about what they planned to do with it. That wasn't cool.

Do we have locations in Fairfax City or nearby Fairfax County that are better suited for everyone concerned, including (of course!) the clients of the shelter? It would DEFINITELY help to know what options were considered, if any, by Fairfax City.

I would definitely like to see a safe location where our less fortunate neighbors can get help they need. Truthfully, like most shelters, I am sure that the Lamb Center must rely heavily upon support of the community and, as such, they know they are more likely to get help in a location the community at large supports.

In response to Anne, Fairfax City "claimed" that they have looked everywhere. They picked a location on Draper Drive in Fairfax which is nearby the current Center location but it was quickly scrapped. Draper Drive is more industrial than the Merrifield location and when we asked why it was scrapped, we were told it was because there was a "dance studio" nearby and the Lamb Center had safety concerns.

This is disturbing because the Merrifield location would have a school bus stop across the street and a day care center within 500 feet.