LMM to appeal zoning decision blocking homeless youth drop-in center

Catch up quick: The Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals granted LMM a variance in March 2023 to operate a drop-in center at 4100 Franklin Blvd.

• Plans called for it to be open 10 hours per day, providing youth access to basic needs (laundry, showers, phone chargers, etc.) and individual case management.

The latest: Cuyahoga County Judge Brian Mooney reversed the variance last month, ruling that LMM should locate its facility in a neighborhood already zoned for such activity.

Between the lines: LMM and its partners worked directly with youth experiencing homelessness to select the Ohio City site.

Stunning stat: Cleveland is Ohio's only big city without a dedicated youth drop-in center, limiting services for more than 500 young people who experience homelessness here annually.

The last word: "LMM has been meeting the needs of youth and young families for decades," president and CEO Maria Foschia said in a statement.

• "From the time it was used by Lutheran Family Services as an adoption center to now, we know this is the right place for building community with youth at the core of our mission."