By Bryan Stalder
Northeast News
November 2, 2016
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Last Thursday evening, residents who live near the 100 block of N. Elmwood gathered in a meeting space provided by Healing House Ministry to engage in a discussion with board members of Healing House regarding ongoing communication problems between the ministry and their neighbors. The meeting was led by Jimmy Thomas from the newly formed Neighborhood Accountability Board, with assistance from the Center For Conflict Resolution.
Neighbors began to have problems with street parking in front of their homes after Healing House purchased the property on the northeast corner of St. John and N. Elmwood and many attempts to confront the problems have led to community frustration. There have also been disturbances with loud music coming from Healing House, which Director Bobbi Jo Reed has made efforts to address.
After many minutes of intense conversation, dialogue began to advance, and Healing House board members and residents both agreed that communication between the two groups could be improved. The Indian Mound Neighborhood Association offered to create a Facebook group that would allow Healing House to inform neighbors of upcoming events and provide residents with an outlet to share their concerns about parking, noise, security, and other problems.
The discussion will continue in a follow-up meeting at Northeast Library on Monday, November 21, immediately after that night’s Indian Mound Neighborhood Association meeting.
Healing House Ministry is committed to improving the quality of life for residents in Northeast, and intends to purchase the old bowling alley/dance hall near the intersection of St. John and N. Elmwood because they have outgrown their current space. Many residents are supportive of this investment, but it is clear that there are still many steps to be taken to ensure Healing House and nearby residents can come to a mutual understanding.