The Ottawa City Council accepted the Plan Commission’s recommendation Tuesday to deny Illinois Public Action to Deliver Shelter’s conditional use permit for a new homeless shelter at 401 E. McKinley Rd., but not without vowing to do everything to help PADS find a new location.

The shelter is housed in a 166-year-old building at 1120 Canal St., serving more than 60 people in a building with two bathrooms.

Executive Director Carol Alcorn has said multiple times the shelter is in need of more space, which would have been a possibility at the new location.

A slew of residents appeared before the Plan Commission at the Jan 24 meeting against it, citing concerns related to crime and traffic, among other things. Police Chief Brent Roalson had concerns of his own, worried the police department’s response time wouldn’t be optimal if something happened.

Commissioner Wayne Eichelkraut said he believes in PADS and its mission despite the conditional use permit getting denied, and the rest of the City Council agreed.

“I fully support the PADS organization,” said Commissioner Tom Ganiere. “I think they do a wonderful job not only here but in Peru. It was started a long time ago and provides a definite need for the community, and I’m committed to working with PADS to find a suitable location for a new building.”

Mayor Dan Aussem also pledged the council will continue working with PADS in an effort to find an alternative site or help them find a way to re-use their existing Canal Street site.

“It’s going to be a balancing act with how you get one building torn down to get a new one built up in a short time frame,” Aussem said. “We’re committed to working with PADS to find a solution.”