Winona's Planning Commission gave final approval Monday for Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota to run a 24-hour, 25-bed shelter inside St. Paul's Episcopal Church, closing out a search for permanent shelter space that dragged on for years and survived at least one earlier rejection. Seven commission members voted in favor of the conditional use permit, while two abstained due to personal or professional ties to the church.
The vote, first detailed by winonapost.com, caps nearly two years of Catholic Charities searching for a long-term shelter location in Winona. The organization had already been running daytime shelter services at St. Paul's, but the new permit allows a genuine round-the-clock operation, according to News 8000. Commissioners Dale Boettcher and Brian Buelow were the two who abstained, while Dan Hall, James Goblirsch, Peter Shortridge, Rick Jaacks, Paul Schollmeier, Matt Esch, and Emily Kurash Casey voted yes.
What Changes Before the Doors Open Overnight
Before overnight operations can begin, Catholic Charities must complete any required building improvements and inspections, including applicable fire and building code work, the same report notes. The shelter's main entrance is also set to move from the rear alley to Lafayette Street, and the proposal calls for fencing along the western portion of the property meant to discourage people from gathering near the alley and neighboring homes.
Those physical changes were drawn up partly in response to pushback from the surrounding neighborhood. Nearby property owners raised concerns about trespassing, harassment, and property damage, questioning whether the proposed security measures would be enough, per the same account from the planning commission meeting.
Oversight Built Into the Permit
The approved management plan layers in ongoing oversight once the shelter is running. It requires a 24-hour neighborhood communication response system, a quarterly neighborhood advisory group, and a good neighbor agreement that gets reviewed every six months. Catholic Charities must also submit an annual report to the Planning Commission by May 31 each year documenting compliance.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church sits at 265 Lafayette St. in Winona. This is not the first time the city has worked through a shelter arrangement with Catholic Charities — the Planning Commission previously approved an overnight shelter permit unanimously for Wesley United Methodist Church, located at 114 W. Sixth St., as reported by winonapost.com. That arrangement allowed the shelter to serve up to 20 people from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. between November and April, but it ended after one winter season.
A Harder Road at the Former St. Casimir's
Getting to this point wasn't straightforward. A proposed long-term location at the former St. Casimir's Parish was rejected by the Winona City Council in a prior process, after the plan failed to secure the supermajority needed to rezone the property. St. Paul's ultimately emerged as the site that could clear that bar.
City residents and council members retain a path to challenge the latest decision. Under the City of Winona's published application procedures, an aggrieved party in interest may appeal a Planning Commission decision to the City Council within 10 days of the ruling, though the available city guidance does not spell out further steps beyond that window.
