With a permit approved by the Ukiah Planning Commission to permanently occupy a former veterinary hospital on Airport Park Boulevard, Danilla Sands of United Disaster Relief of Northern California said her focus is now on meeting all the required conditions. by the city of Ukiah.
Sands said Wednesday that to comply with current municipal codes, the Disaster Resource Center would have to protect its outdoor storage area with a sturdy fence or wall, which she said the nonprofit didn’t. financing to build.
“We’re trying to raise $250,000 to buy our building,” Sands said, explaining that the center is also concerned that they won’t have any items outside due to “thieves who keep cutting the fence, to steal tarps”, and to make it impossible to maintain. the carports that the center has erected for storage.
To solve both problems, she said, the plan now is to pay around $5,000 to install pallet racks in the very large warehouse at the back of the building, bringing in all outside items safely. inside and out of sight.
“It looks like we’re cutting our noses despite our face,” planning commissioner Mark Hilliker said of the condition to screen outside storage, describing the center providing clothes, food, batteries and responds to countless other immediate needs of displaced people. by the fires as “a viable and useful service. But I don’t want to violate any of our ordinances either.
“We recognize that (requiring screening) is a challenge, but for licensing to be in place, that condition must exist,” said chairwoman Laura Christensen. “But this (center) should continue, because you are doing an amazing job.”
Last week, the Planning Commission voted to approve a use permit, which planning director Craig Schlatter said would replace the temporary emergency permit the center received last year from the city as helping people displaced by the Hopkins fire.
So far, the center has raised about $50,000 to purchase the building, which Sands says has a lot to offer, including “air conditioning, heating, lighting, running water and bathrooms.” baths! We are so excited to have bathrooms.
Sands said people wanting to help their efforts to purchase the building can drop off monetary donations at the center, located at 1240 Airport Park Blvd., or visit their Facebook page and find links to their PayPal account.
