Safe Embrace will be allowed to help more people leaving domestic violence situations after Washoe’s Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a special use permit for the nonprofit’s Sparks-adjacent shelter.
With the newly approved permit, the home can house up to 18 people, but could house up to 21 if it can be connected to the City of Sparks sewer system and bring its attached garage up to code for livable space. Safe Embrace must also meet special use permit requirements, including landscaping and emergency plans. Safe Embrace has operated at the one-acre property for 20 years, housing up to 10 people at a time.
The organization received approval from the City of Sparks to increase occupancy to 28; however, “Sparks screwed up procedurally,” according to Deputy District Attorney Michael Large. The request wasn’t put through a public hearing and council approval, resulting in the permit being revoked.
In 2020, the property and the handful of other homes on the street were moved from the City of Sparks’ sphere of influence to Washoe County, requiring the nonprofit to reapply for the permits with the county. Washoe’s Board of Adjustment issued a technical denial on the permit in a 2-2 vote, leading to an appeal and Tuesday’s hearing.
The original application submitted by Safe Embrace to the county requested approval for up to 25 occupants, but the organization agreed to reduce that number to 21 based on discussions with the county and in response to neighborhood concerns.
“There’s been a significant decrease [in requested occupancy] … trying to find a compromise of where we started and where the neighbors wanted us to be and found someplace we think in the middle,” said attorney Garret Gordon, speaking on behalf of Safe Embrace. “And 21, we feel, is a fair place to move forward.”
“While we agree wholeheartedly … that more resources are needed, these very resources cannot be located in residential neighborhoods in direct violation of codes.”
Safe Embrace is one of only a few domestic violence resources in the community that operates a temporary shelter for women, men and children for stays of up to 90 days.
Amanda Bullard, a deputy director at the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCEDSV), said there is a real need for domestic violence resources in the state. Nevada was second in the nation for rates of domestic violence per capita, she said, and has been in the national top 10 states for murder committed by intimate partner for 23 of the past 25 years.
In 2022, there were 3,645 instances of domestic violence reported to law enforcement, she added.
“To put into words the impact that Safe Embrace has made on this community is impossible,” Bullard said. “Their advocates work with victim survivors on the worst days of their lives. They work tirelessly to transition victims into survivors. Victim survivors have done nothing wrong, and denying them shelter only further penalizes them.”
Nicole Winckelmann, a policy specialist for NCEDSV, also spoke during public comment and said domestic violence is complex, nuanced and often misunderstood.
“The most dangerous time for a victim survivor is when they leave an abusive relationship, so the importance of shelters cannot be overstated as they provide refuge from their abuser,” Winckelmann said, adding that without a shelter, victims can either stay with their abuser or become homeless.
Neighbors oppose ‘outrageous behavior’ of Safe Embrace residents
Opponents of the special use permit—neighbors along the same street—raised several concerns about the shelter’s operation in their neighborhood.
“Women get dropped off and picked up night and day around the street, all over,” said neighbor Samantha Gonzalez. “One neighbor heard a man and woman yelling at 2 a.m. in the backyard of Safe Embrace. It’s a constant turnover of people. As with any transient population, some are nice, and some are not nice.”
Nearby residents repeated that, though they opposed the special use permit for Safe Embrace, they supported the organization’s mission. They argued that their opposition was specifically about site suitability.
However, in addition to complaints about square footage, unpermitted construction and increased occupancy, neighbors cited wandering children, visits from sheriff’s deputies, women looking for cigarettes and cannabis, and dogs barking at all hours. One resident said she’d seen children dragging garbage bags of belongings in the street.
“If I had a choice between people pushing shopping carts around or helping kids and beat-up women, guess which one I’m going to vote for.”
County staff said that because the property has shifted jurisdiction from Washoe County to Sparks and back to Washoe County, expansions and developments at the site have fallen under both jurisdictions, and they have different rules and regulations. That’s been one source of confusion.
After neighborhood meetings in 2022 and 2023, Safe Embrace officials said they made several commitments to the neighbors, including having a staff person on-site overnight. They also agreed to upgrade cameras and a security system, set new rules and limits for pets on the property, and create a neighborhood response program. The nonprofit also asked the county to waive lighting standards and paved parking requirements to keep the neighborhood feel consistent.
Winckelmann also addressed concerns neighbors cited about activities they said they’d seen around the shelter.
“Victim survivors come from all walks of life, maintaining jobs and schedules that vary greatly between one another,” she said. “These differences are not indicative of delinquent behavior or pose any real risk to their neighborhoods. Working night shifts, swing shifts, on-call schedules, traveling for appointments, [and] walking to public transportation makes for a busy life. Furthermore, victims come to shelters in a state of crisis and are not transient people as they did not choose a lifestyle of housing instability and violence.”
Marvice Beutel, whose property backs up to the Safe Embrace property, said what Safe Embrace is asking approval for—a doubling of its original permitted occupancy—is a departure from how it has operated for most of its existence and is unacceptable. She said the increased occupancy doesn’t fit with the low-density zoning of the neighborhood.
“We keep hearing what a necessary and compassionate endeavor Safe Embrace is,” Beutel said. “The truth is it’s a business operating in a residentially zoned subdivision, and it really has no legal standing to be there.”
She added that despite Safe Embrace officials agreeing to conditions of the approval, she did not expect them to follow through.
“Past performance is a window into the future,” she said.
Katie Knepper, another neighbor, argued that the liveable square footage calculated by county staff was inaccurate and that buildings on the property were converted without permits.
She added that she’d received assurances from county and Sparks officials that the property would remain a group home—limited to 10 residents. She said those officials lied.
“While we agree wholeheartedly … that more resources are needed, these very resources cannot be located in residential neighborhoods in direct violation of codes,” Knepper said.
“Group homes are allowed in any residential area. Changing a group home into a group care facility is a major change in use. The 12 residential property owners … should be able to enjoy our quiet neighborhood without a contentious commercial compound in the middle of it.”
Commissioners express empathy for both sides
Commissioners said they understood the concerns of nearby homeowners and sympathized with their position but also expressed support for Safe Embrace and their mission.
Commissioner Mike Clark said he would like to see the county spend more money on shelters for victims of domestic violence rather than on the homeless population. He challenged the four women on the board to “stick up for other women” and prioritize supporting domestic violence programs.
“I don’t think there’s a more vulnerable population than women and children,” Clark said. “I’m 1,000% percent on their side. If I had a choice between people pushing shopping carts around or helping kids and beat-up women, guess which one I’m going to vote for.”
Clark said he was also sympathetic to homeowners who didn’t plan for group care facilities to be next to their homes when they purchased the properties years prior.
Commissioner Mariluz Garcia agreed and said it’s a messy situation.
“The heartache I have is that the administrative process wasn’t there from the get-go,” she said. “We’re here to do the public hearing and the residents over time, five years, dealing with multiple jurisdictions, promises made, and they deserve their voices to be heard. I know this has been on your mind for many, many years.”
Despite the emotions on both sides of the issue, District Attorney Mary Kandaras made clear to commissioners that their decision should rest upon whether the application met the four findings required to issue the special use permit.
Commission Chair Alexis Hill said she felt it did but added that should Safe Embrace fail to meet the conditions of the permit, it could be revoked.
Hill also urged Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Board members to resolve the sphere-of-influence issues that contributed to challenges with the permitting process for Safe Embrace and its neighbors.
“To the neighbors, I’m so sorry that this has been such a difficult situation,” she said. “The sphere-of-influence situation that we have in our community really needs to be fixed. That is something that plagues another part of my district as well and creates a lot of uncertainty and questions when applying for any permits.”
Commissioner Clara Andriola moved to approve the special use permit and seconded by Vice Chair Jeanne Herman. The motion was approved unanimously.
