Elisabeth King’s effort to create living space for homeless men in a vacant downtown building has come to naught.

By a 4-3 vote Wednesday night, the City Council ceased consideration of King’s proposal, made under the auspices of HOMEtogether.

King wanted to provide a living/working arrangement for up to 12 people in the cityowned nunnery building on 2 Sheridan Road off Oak Street. The proposal would have required, among other things, a zoning amendment.

City Manager William Giroux said Thursday that some people worried such a facility would have been too close to nearby ball fields and the recreation department. What’s more, Giroux said, there is limited parking near the building.

“The council has decided not to sell the building to HOMEtogether, so that essentially ends the project,” Giroux said.

Councilor Mary Eosco moved not to go forward with King’s proposal. Councilors Bernard Wyman, Andrew Winglass and Kyle Rogers voted with her. Sean Paulhus, Meadow Merrill and Steve Brackett voted to consider it further.

Eosco represents Ward 5, which is located near the building while Wyman represents Ward 4, which encompasses the property.

Last month, King mailed out 70 meeting invitations to families living in closest proximity to the old nunnery. The meeting was held on Sept. 19 at a residence on Lincoln Street, which also is near the property. Four HOMEtogether board members attended.

King hasn’t given up.

“What we have to do now is to get out and ring doorbells,” she said, “talk to the 17 people who were at the neighborhood meeting and did not send angry emails — see how much neighborhood support we actually have and present that as evidence to the City Council, asking for a reconsideration of the vote.

“Let’s just see what we come up with.”

King divulged information on that Sept. 19 meeting in report to the council, dated Oct. 3. She read from that report during Wednesday night’s meeting.

“What we hoped for, and received, was feedback on concerns and anxieties related to the proposed projects, as well as some positive suggestions,” King wrote. “We are promising to be ‘considerate neighbors.’”

King went on to say the facility would not be a shelter, where people come in off the street and stay for days or weeks.

HOMEtogether participants, she said, would be screened by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff ’s Department and extensively interviewed by the board.

An initial “trial marriage” of six months would follow.

Giroux pointed out that the City Council decided several years ago to demolish the building, which had a bad roof. Money for demolition was removed from the budget, he said.

“The building doesn’t meet code in many, many ways,” he said.

lgrard@timesrecord.com