ELY- When Thomas Burandt applied for a conditional use permit to use 21 E. White St. as a rooming house for up to five men recovering from substance use disorders, he was met with pushback from many neighbors. That came to a head at a zoning meeting on July 22, when Burandt’s proposal for a conditional use permit was denied by the zoning commission.
The zoning hearing included several people speaking in opposition, in addition to eight written letters and a neighborhood petition with more than 25 signatures objecting to the project.
In his opening statement, Burandt highlighted that the city’s findings of facts found that the rooming house would not substantially diminish or impair property values in the neighborhood. That finding would be contested throughout the hearing.
Burandt, who has a background in real estate and foreclosures, said he hoped the rooming house would be a place where those committed to recovery could find employment in the area.
In response to questions from several people who opposed the project, Burandt clarified aspects of his plan. The rooming house would have no official staff and would be run by its residents, including a member further into the recovery process who would oversee day-to-day issues. Burandt referred to this person as the house’s “disciple.”
Burandt said that he and his son would conduct check-ins with those living at the property, conducting drug tests “when necessary” and helping residents with transportation.
“Most of these people don’t have licenses,” Burandt said in response to worries about neighborhood parking.
Burandt’s son is a contractor, and Burandt said members of the house could work on trades projects around the area through his son. Burandt described his involvement as “hands-on” in the initial proposal.
Burandt highlighted a lack of tradespeople in the area, including plumbers and electricians, as another inspiration for the project. It was for this reason that Jeanette Palcher, the only person to vote in favor of the conditional use permit, broke with the rest of the commission, explaining that Ely needs more skilled trades workers.
“We don’t have enough workers,” Palcher said.
Burandt said he hoped to find residents for the rooming house who were finishing addiction treatment programs throughout the region. He said he planned to screen applicants himself.
Julie Nester, who helped organize the neighborhood opposition to the permit, pointed out at the hearing that several organizations already provide services for those struggling with addiction in the area, including Ely Well Being Development, the Ely Care Team, Ely Behavioral Health Network, Range Mental Health Clinic, the Ely Wellness Collaborative, and several AA support groups, none of which were involved in the project.
Burandt had already employed a group from Teen Challenge, an addiction recovery organization, to conduct repairs on the property before the work stopped. At the hearing, Rebecca Spengler, who lives next door to the property, said the workers displayed a lack of consideration for the neighborhood, at one point playing the Book of Revelation audio book at full volume all day while she gardened next door.
“It was my experience that this organization had limited understanding of how the daily construction noise was heard by neighbors,” wrote Spengler in her letter of objection.
Burandt said he was waiting for approval of the conditional use permit before finishing construction on the property.
At the end of the hearing, the zoning commission denied the conditional use permit, citing Burandt’s lack of experience and qualifications to operate a rooming house, which commissioners said could alter the character of the neighborhood.
After the hearing, Burandt said he would need to talk to his family about future plans for the project. Earlier in the hearing, he said he was in contact with a family in the Twin Cities interested in buying the property.