GREEN BAY (NBC26) — A plan for veterans 1st homes has been approved by city council.
- Veterans 1st is a non-profit organization seeking to build 21 cottage-style homes for at-risk Veterans.
- The homes will be located in the Schmitt Park neighborhood on Green Bay's east side, near a historic burial site.
- According to the state's historical society, the homes will not cover the site. There were other locations available but the orgnaization decided to stay put.
- Construction is expected to begin some time this summer.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
For more than five hours, community members waiting on the decision for the 21 homes proposed by Veterans 1st.
However many in the Schmitt park neighborhood were against it.
The homes will be located in the 2890 St. Anthony Dr. in the Schmitt Park neighborhood.
I spoke with Veterans 1st of Northeast Wisconsin co-founder Gail Nohr before the meeting.
She says the homes will be for veterans in need and will offer a dozens of services to them.
The biggest concern addresses the homes being close to a historic burial site.
Nohr reassured the committee about her talks with the state historical society.
She says a study was conducted on the land showing it would not cover the burial site.
City development said there were other options for the homes, but Veterans 1st chose to stay put.
"We just want to offer them help and support that they fought so brilliantly and selflessly to give us the freedoms that we have. This is the least we can do to give that back to them," Nohr said. "The reason why we named it Veteran's 1st is because if we can do it, other communities can do it."
At the end, council reached an 8 to 4 approval vote.
Nohr says work on the homes are expected to begin some time this summer.
