Boulder’s plan to add a homelessness day services center at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless is sparking backlash among community members who live nearby.

Some city officials have envisioned the center as a “one-stop shop” where people experiencing homelessness can access a variety of essential resources. One of the primary goals of the center will be to help clients get into housing, but it’s also intended to offer supportive services and a place for unhoused residents to spend time during the day.

However, the original management plan for the shelter, drafted more than 20 years ago when the shelter moved to its current spot on the north end of Broadway, specified that the shelter would only be open overnight and that it would not provide daytime services. Adding a day services center there will require changing the management plan to allow the shelter to stay open 24/7 — a change many neighbors oppose.

Numerous residents in the Dakota Ridge and Holiday neighborhoods of North Boulder spoke during a “Good Neighbor” meeting Wednesday evening with city staffers and Boulder Shelter for the Homeless board members.

Bruce Goldstein cited concerns around safety, security, increased foot traffic and congestion, and the potential for more noise and disturbances in the neighborhood. He also said he feared possible impacts on neighborhood property values. Other speakers echoed many of the same themes in their comments, with some going as far as to call for a 24/7 police presence near the shelter.

At least one speaker, Craig Zeutzius, said he had safety concerns but also questioned the practicality of adding a day services center at the shelter, which is three miles north of the downtown area where most of the city’s unhoused live. “I worry that the road being chosen is done because it is the easiest, not because it is the best,” Zeutzius said.

Many speakers said they felt the city had not communicated transparently about plans to add a day services center at the shelter and that the decision had been made without their input.

“This feels like a sham,” said Corey Potash. “I was going to ask where we are exactly in the process, but it sounds like it’s a done deal.”

One neighbor, Shane Procopio, said he “strongly supported” having the services center at the shelter.

“If anything, we’re lessening strains on nearby parks and public spaces by providing a place for human beings to go to during the day to get needs and services that everyone deserves,” Procopio said.

City officials said they heard and understood residents’ concerns and that the concerns would be taken into consideration. But Alison Blaine, a senior city planner, clarified that changes to the shelter’s management plan are done via an administrative process that does not require a public hearing.