Fight Against Proposed East Norriton Abuse Shelter Continues

Norristown domestic abuse shelter would like to come to St. Titus Roman Catholic Church in East Norriton, but residents are campaigning to stop them, saying it would harm property values and ”wreck the natural quietness” of the area.

Signs have been posted on the lawns of Kenwood Road and the nearby area saying “No Laurel House at St. Titus” and directing residents to EastNorriton.org.

Residents are calling the shelter a “real and serious threat” to property value.

“There have not been any incidents in the past 10 years,” Sturman said. “We have security alarms that alert the security company. We have video cameras. There are a lot of rules for our clients. There is a 9 p.m. curfew. Children are supervised by their mothers or staff.”

At a Zoning Board Hearing Monday, about 80 residents were in attendance, strictly questioning representatives of the shelter, according to a report.

“People are there for safety. A lot of the rules are in place for protection,” Beth Struman, the former director of Laurel House, during the three-hour hearing at the Teamsters Local 384 hall said, according to the Times Herald. “Very rarely, a client tells an abusive spouse the location of the facility. We usually move that person out of the facility.”

“This group shelter will disrupt the safety, calm, and quietness of our neighborhood and unfortunately define our area forever,” anti-shelter organizers wrote on EastNorriton.org.

Laurel House does not have enough room at its current location, and would like to use the rectory building of St. Titus as both a shelter and an office for its administrative work.

The board will rule on the issue on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at the township building.

Opponents of the shelter cited the following reasons for their displeasure at their idea online:

The group shelter will destroy many East Norriton property values. You did not purchase your home with a group shelter nearby and will obviously find it more difficult to sell it with one, granting this variance will also open up the possibility of converting St. Titus school or any other part of the property into a shelter.

The group shelter will jeopardize the safety of many East Norriton residents. Abusers would once again find their victims and put everyone in the neighborhood at risk.

The group shelter will wreck the natural quietness of our community by dramatically increasing traffic flow. Group home workers and residents will be shuttling back and forth to their jobs and schools throughout the day and evening.

The group shelters representative best described by East Norriton residents who attended the planning commission hearing on June 17th as evasive, not forthcoming and oblivious to their concerns.

In 2013, Laurel House said they provided 5,926 hours of shelter to 196 battered and endangered women and children.