NORTH SALT LAKE — Plans for a new homeless shelter in North Salt Lake are no more.
The proposed homeless shelter next to the Foxboro neighborhood caused a lot of controversy when it was first announced, but now the company that was planning to buy the facility has pulled its offer — much to the relief of nearby residents.
That idea is OK with North Salt Lake residents like Laura Grundvig.
“I’m happy it’s not there, for sure,” she said.
Grundvig is one of many North Salt Lake residents who opposed turning what was the abandoned LifeLine Teen Treatment Center into a year-round homeless shelter.
Much of that opposition was on display in North Salt Lake’s City Council meeting Tuesday. Dozens showed up voicing their overwhelming disapproval, not comfortable with their kids growing up with a homeless shelter just two blocks from their Foxboro homes.
“I just don’t feel safe. My kids would be wanting to ride (their bikes) that way and can’t because it becomes possibly unsafe for them,” said Grundvig.
Following the outcry from Tuesday’s meeting, KSL-TV learned Switchpoint, the company that was going to the buy the center, has since canceled its offer. One Davis County official who sits on the task force overseeing where the county’s eventual shelter will go said Switchpoint had no other options.
“It was made very clear during that meeting the City Council had no intention of supporting this or zoning it in the way that it would need to be zoned in order for them to operate at that facility. At that point there was really no point in moving forward,” said Ryan Steinbeigle, a Davis County winter overflow task force member.
That decision is bringing others in the Foxboro neighborhood some peace of mind.
“It’ll make the neighborhood stay safe,” said North Salt Lake resident Jared Laing.
“I would just be grateful that we’re not having that over here,” said Jamie Chase, another resident.
The decision also leaves the controversy of where to put a year-round homeless shelter in Davis County into another city’s hands.
So where will the county’s homeless shelter go now? Here’s a date to be aware of: August 1, 2025, is when Davis County must submit its plan to comply with the state of Utah for a year-round homeless shelter.
