Thank you for publishing the article “Portland officials eye 14 “reasonable’ sites for potential new homeless shelters” (Jan. 22).

I cannot speak about the feasibility of all the sites listed, but I strongly disagree with the assessment of the City Council’s Health and Human Services Committee that the Rosemont Fire Station land is a “reasonable” option. This location should not be considered for many reasons, including:

• It will decimate the livability and property values of the much-revered Rosemont neighborhood.

• It is far too close to the Stevens Avenue schools (Deering, Lincoln and Longfellow) to be safe for students.

• It is a small plot of marginally buildable land (due to rocky ledge) in an area that is nearly completely residential.

The current push to move the shelter out of Bayside is being promoted simply based on an increased need for services. However, there is also a very relevant (but much less publicized) notion that the city wants to remove the shelter from Bayside so that it will not dampen condominium and retail development of this up-and-coming area.

The city has to be careful and thoughtful with the shelter location process so that well-established neighborhoods such as Rosemont are not fractured.

Vincent DiYenno

Portland