The Hacienda: Halfway House or Abandoned Building

The Fresno City Council had plans to turn a former hotel at Clinton and 99 into a halfway house but it has been delayed due to neighbors complaining. According to the article in today's Fresno Bee, the decision has been delayed another 30 days. I understand that the neighborhood maybe concerned about this secure facility to house ex-cons, parolees and their kids but is the alternative better? It has been sitting empty for 2 years. In the harshest sense this is a choice between a crack den with criminals or a supervised facility with criminals that are trying to be reformed. That isn't a real choice to me. It isn't a situation where it is a profitable business or a halfway house, I could totally understand the neighbors getting involved the. I think that 30 days to placate the neighbors isn't going to placate the neighbors. Either do it or get a business in there because it just sitting is the worse thing for the area. Looking at the harsh reality of Fresno, buildings can sit empty for decades, so what the neighbors think would be a temporary problem may not be. I urge the neighborhood to not try to live in the glory of the old days (this had been one of the nicest hotels in the area) but deal with today's harsh realities.