After long fight, Boise approved a new Interfaith Sanctuary. Opponents have responded

The battle over a new homeless shelter on State Street has entered a new phase.

Opponents of Interfaith Sanctuary’s move to the Veterans Park area have taken the matter to court, asking a judge to reverse the Boise City Council’s approval of the project.

An attorney for the Veterans Park Neighborhood Association filed a petition for judicial review Monday, arguing that the city’s actions were unlawful and asking the court to rescind the council’s approval of the shelter, according to a copy of the petition obtained by the Idaho Statesman.

Nearby property and restaurant owners alleged in the filing that they would face “substantial harm to their real property interests” from the shelter and asked for a stay on the shelter’s permit while the matter is in court.

Proponents of the new shelter have argued that it is sorely needed to address a crisis related to homelessness and a lack of affordable housing in Idaho’s fast-growing capital city, but some neighbors have been unwavering in their belief that its placement will harm the area, raise crime rates and create other problems.

Interfaith Sanctuary is on River Street, just west of downtown. The Planning and Zoning Commission initially denied its application for a conditional use permit to move to State Street, but the City Council overturned that decision in April, while imposing many conditions on the shelter to mitigate its impact.

Interfaith has said it plans to construct a shelter at a former Salvation Army location with 205 beds for families, and single men and women, amid what the agency has said is an urgent need. The shelter plans to apply for a building permit in August and hopes to begin construction in the fall, Jodi Peterson-Stigers, the executive director of Interfaith, told the Idaho Statesman.

“We need more shelter options,” she said, noting that the current shelter is full almost every night.

The neighborhood association said it plans to probe whether the city followed the correct legal processes in making its decision. The court filing asked the city for transcripts and audio recordings of multiple city meetings about the shelter, and included a request for mediation, noting that the association believes there is a “likelihood” that issues can be resolved that way.

The filing also asked for correspondence about the shelter between city officials, the Boise School District, the Ada County Highway District, Valley Regional Transit, Our Path Home — a regional coalition focused on homelessness — and Interfaith.

Separate from the neighborhood association’s action, Boise attorney Scott Rose filed court documents against the city over the shelter on Friday, seeking declaratory action and judicial review. His two-page filing did not include specific details.