Shelter raises concerns in Darlington
The building at 109 Law Street in Darlington.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
A proposed shelter for homeless people in Darlington has raised concerns by a daycare next door, and residents that live nearby.
Kim Bryant, is the Director the Kids Stop Daycare that has operated since 1988, spoke both at the September City Council meeting on Tuesday September 6, and to the News and Press Thursday September 8.
“We had noticed activity over there in August,” said Bryant. “One of our staff members forgot her phone and came back after hours and saw a man looking in the front windows. She kept going and circled back around, and saw him going into the building next door. The next morning we called the police and made a statement. They were already aware there were people there, but that was the first time they’d had an incident.”
Kids Stop has children from infants age 6 weeks to school aged children aged 8 and 9.
The building was the site of the former Coleman – Aimar Hospital. After it closed, it was purchased by Dr. Willis and reopened as a nursing home.
“They were great neighbors,” said Bryant. “They talked to the kids and all was well. After that, the Carriage House operated in the building, and when it closed, it’s been empty ever since.”
“No one introduced themselves to us,” continued Bryant. “One of our neighbors gave us a pamphlet that told what they were, the Flowers Ministry. They have never come over.”
Bryant said she called the corporate office in Charlotte to ask what it was going to be; she was told a homeless shelter. “I was a little stunned. I waited a couple of week and called back, and asked again, and was told it was to be a 90-day facility. I said, for the homeless? And she said ‘yes, ma’am’ and then I said, for drug offenders, sex offenders? And she said anyone that needs help in finding Christ. I have no problem with that, but I do not think it needs to be in a neighborhood with a daycare. All our neighbors have been living here for years and many are widows. It’s not just a problem for us, but for the whole neighborhood.”
A second incident was more troubling.
“A normal afternoon when the children were playing outside on the playground, one of our staff members saw a man on their property with a camera held up towards our children. Her assumption was he was videotaping our children. We came inside and called the police again. We can’t have that.”
The proposed homeless shelter/transitional shelter borders the Kids Stop Daycare, shown here with the playground directly behind the daycare.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
One of fathers of her children spoke out at city Council meeting against the shelter operating next door.
“From what I understand they haven’t gotten the first license,” continued Bryant. “Listen, I’ve worked with daycares for a long time. We work with DHEC, the Fire Marshall, – we do what they say and comply. If they are truly trying to help people they need to do the same things that we all do.”
Bryant said that as a daycare, they constantly check the registered sex offenders’ list and was extremely upset to learn that one had been staying at the facility.
“As a pastor, how could you with good conscience have a sex offender as close to us as these two buildings are? We share a parking lot, basically.”
Bryant said that the daycare opens at 7 a.m., and her staff gets there early; they witnessed people shooing people out of the facility as early as 6:30 a.m.
“We want our children safe, and our staff members. We are all ladies. With the time change coming up, it’s dark in the mornings and when we close. This is just not a safe situation.”
The city’s contracted commercial building inspector, fire chief and police chief are all perplexed by the lack of cooperation by Flowers Ministries, Incorporated.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Edwin Hardee, Commercial Building Inspector with Safebuilt, who contracts with the City of Darlington. “We usually get cooperation with people to gain occupancy. The usually bend over backward to work with you so they can open. With this company, we have not had that.”
Hardee said that officials were told on Åug. 23 that the facility was now operating as a church. “Sanctuaries are not allowed to be a place of residence in the State of South Carolina,” said Hardee. “Yet, they were still trying to use it as a homeless shelter or a transitional housing location.”
City Fire Chief Pat Cavanaugh and City Police Chief Danny Watson agreed.
Both men concurred that they approached the staff at the facility on numerous occasions to learn more and were rebuffed. All officials state that they have full support of City Council and the Mayor.
The company is not related to Tonya Flowers that operates the House of Refuge in Darlington.
Flowers Ministries, Incorporated, was contacted by the News and Press and did not respond to questions by press time.
Flowers Ministries was not found on the S.C. Secretary of State website as an active charity; on the N.C. Secretary of State website, they were classified as non profit formed in 2007.
As found on their website, www.flowersincusa.org, the Flowers Ministries, Incorporated, has corporate offices in Charlotte, N.C. In addition to the Darlington location, they have offices in Charleston (Goose Creek) SC; Columbia SC (Irmo); August GA; Jacksonville, FL; Miami Fl; and Washington DC, Virginia (Arlington VA) They state that their programs include Shepherd Mission House, the Shepherd Financial Group; Shepherd Real Properties; FMI Charity Development; Disability Claims Assistance.
A timeline of the building from the building inspector is as follows:
July 29: Officials were sent to location at 109 Law Street; no certificate of occupancy, no inspection to allow use of building as residential
Aug. 1: detailed list of what must be done given to personnel
Aug. 5: contracted building inspector notes deficiencies that needed to be fixed to obtain a certification of occupancy.
Aug. 5. Temporary Certificate of Occupancy issued by Roni Jo Abdella. Occupancy given as Commercial
Aug. 23: Items still not resolved, including: emergency lighting not operational, exposed outlets, exposed fixtures, fire safety doors not functional. Personnel told inspector the facility was going to be church, and would house people as a transitional shelter.
August 23: Letter sent to Flowers Ministries, Inc. by Edwin Hardee, Commercial Building Inspector.
Aug. 23: Caution notice posted: It has been determined that the occupancy of this building is in fact, illegal. There has been no certificate of occupancy issued for this building for the purpose of which it is being used currently. Therefore it has been determined that under Section 110 of the International Fire Code you must vacate this building immediately. The building can no longer be occupied in any matter with the exception of daytime hours or for the purposes to bring the location up to code. Violation of this will carry with it punishment under law.
Aug. 23: Inspection Record at 11:00 a.m. given to Elizabeth Moseley;
A-3 Occupancy (church): Plans must be drawn by a design professional to bring building up to code.No person is allowed to sleep in this building unless change of use performed and building meets code that allow persons to sleep in building.
Sept. 1: Letter to Building Permits Office in Darlington from Orin G. Briggs of Lexington, S.C., Attorney for Shepard Ministries of the church located at 109 Law Street, requesting that the Fire Department allow church members to enter the church to supervise workers to make improvements.
City of Darlington Fire Department documents pertaining to 109 Law Street:
Jan. 21, 2014: Consultation for Work Needed – Pre-Occupancy Inspection
Name of Facility: Transitional Center for Veterans, 109 Law Street, Darlington
Tenant: Jimmy Williams
Mandated corrections:
• Head system shall be serviced and compliant
• Fire alarm shall be serviced and proper work order.
• All panel boxes shall be labeled.
• No exposed wiring shall be permitted.
• Exit sign shall be in working order.
• All emergency lighting shall be in operation.
Sept. 30, 2014: inspection
Name of Facility: Transitional Center for Veterans, 109 Law Street, Darlington
Tenant: Jimmy Williams
• Hood system shall be serviced and UL compliant 904.11 IEC
• Fire Alarm shall be serviced and proper working order 906 IFC
• All panel boxes shall be labeled 605 IFC
• No Exposed wiring shall be permitted 605 IFC
• Exit signs shall be in working order 1011.1 IFC
• All emergency lighting shall be in operation 1011.1 IFC
February 15, 2016: Inspection
Name of Facility: Families Engagement Program
B-8 Hood system shall be serviced and UL Compliant 904.11 IFC
B-5 Fire extinguishers shall be serviced and 1 in every hallway 904 IFC
EE-4 All electrical covers shall be on all electrical boxes 605 IFC
A-3 All exits shall have illuminated signs 1011.1
A-4 All emergency lighting shall be in working condition 1011.1 IFC
April 8, 2016: Inspection
Name of Facility: Flowers Ministries
Name of Owner: Fatherhood and Families Engagement Program
All ok
July 29, 2016: Report only, Not an inspection
Name of Facility: Flowers Ministries, Inc. (Shepard Mission House) Elizabeth Mosely
• Called to this location for homeless shelter in operation.
• No certificate of occupancy on file at City Bld. Office.
• No inspection performed by fire official for occupancy type.
• No working fire alarm system in place.
• Fire extinguishers are satisfactory.
• Due to extreme heat, staff and management advised to keep fire watch until Monday morning and meet with city officials on Sept. 2
• At this time, city officials will initiate proper paperwork and inspection procedures to obtain required certification of occupancy. Fire watch shall be maintained 24/7 until certification and inspection from building official. NO SMOKING NO COOKING to be performed on property! Fire alarm system shall be brought up to code.
Aug. 1, 2016: Notice by Fire Department
No trip test on Alarm System. Emergency light not operational, Outlets and fixgtures have not been fixed. Date of completion has been extended.
Aug. 1, 2016: Inspection
Shepard House Ministries (Flowers Ministries) Elizabeth Mosely
• Emergency Lights shall be operational
• Fire alarm shll be serviced and brought up to new standards, all smoke detectors and audible alarms shall be operational
• And alarm trip test shall be performed prior to clearance of system.
• All outlets and light fixtures in walls and ceilings shall have appropriate covers placed in junction boxes
Aug. 5, 2016 Inspection
Shepard House Ministries (Flowers Ministries) Elizabeth Mosely
• A6 Automatic closing devide shall be operational on fire doors upon activation of fire alarm system
• Automatic door closer near kitchen not working properly. Not closing all the way.
Aug. 25, 2016 Inspection
• All electrical covers shall be in place at all times
• Fire extinguishers shall be serviced and tagged
• All electrical wiring shall be up to code
Darlington Police Department Reports:
July 30, 2016: Incident Report
Complaint by a resident who filed a report that her 58 year old brother stayed at the homeless shelter at 109 Law Street on Saturday and Sunday. She took him back there on Monday to get money refunded. A staff member at the facility said since he had meals there he would have to pay for the week, which was $150.00. The woman reported that her brother said he was “locked in a night” and could not leave unless the resident asked someone., his ID and food stamp card was locked in a lock box. She reported that he told her he had to sign documents one being a power of attorney for emergency medical purposes. The room he was in had an open window with no air-conditioning or fan and it was extremely hot.
Aug. 3, 2016: incident report
A homeless woman, age 67, filed a complaint that she had seen individuals at the Darlington Dollar General collecting donations for the homeless. She approached them and asked for help. She reported to police that she stayed there and was asked to give her bank debit card and food stamp card. She was advised that she and the other residents were required to ask for donations, but the victim refused because she felt it was “panhandling.” She was later told to give a mandatory donation. $500 of her social security check was taken out of her bank account living her with $54.00. Groceries were purchased from her food stamp card, leaving her with $3.00 remaining. She stated to police that she was kicked out of the program for asking too many questions and for coming to the police. The City of Darlington paid for her to stay at a local motel and food.
Aug. 5, 2016: Incident Report
At request of City of Darlington Fire Department, officers assisted Fire Department and Building Inspector Ronni JKoe Abdella. The entrance was closed and locked, but several televisionsn and fans were operating. Flowers Ministries member Elizabeth Mosely and three elderly people arrived, and EMS was called to assist with one of the senior citizens. A building inspection was to be conducted later in the day.
Aug. 28, 2016: Incident Report
Police called to assist Darlington Fire Department about trespassing at the 109 Law Street building. A fire alarm was going off at the time, with water pouring from the ceiling into the unit. The site was not supposed to be occupied by overnight residents due to various code violations and sanctions by the fire marshal. A member of the church that leases the building was there and was given a citation for trespassing after notice, and instructed to meet with the city judge on Aug. 31, 2016.
Sept. 2, 2016: Incident Report
Police responded to assist Darlington Fire Department with fire alarm call at 109 Law Street. Alarms were turned off, and after a sweep of the facility no one was found on the premises but multiple televisions were on suggesting occupancy.