Neighborhood association to hire lawyer to oppose church’s trafficking-victims shelter

Members of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association on Thursday, Oct. 17, voted overwhelmingly to hire legal counsel to represent them in their opposition to a human trafficking victims shelter proposed by Mercy Culture Church.

"It's just not safe," said association vice president Kathryn Omarkhail. "The things that they've talked about doing are scary."

It's been proposed that the people the shelter would serve would not be allowed to leave for up to a year, she said, saying that the church displays an "intimidating" culture.

Mercy Culture has had a contentious relationship with neighbors over the issue ever since it applied for a zoning change for the center in 2022.

The proposed shelter is part of the church's Justice Reform ministry , which seeks to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking.

The city of Fort Worth told the church in July that it would have to apply for a zoning change in order to build the shelter. In September, church leaders accused the city of discrimination by forcing it to go through the bureaucratic process.

After an update of the center's zoning situation by Fort Worth Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff, residents shared concerns and asked questions about the legality of the church's plans and their options to oppose it.

Burghdoff said the city's attorneys had found that a center zoned for group living would be legal under a 1999 law called the Religious Land Use Act.

Group living would be covered under the law when considered a church-related activity.

"The church-related uses — it's a specific use that's been allowed on that site since 2004," she said, referring to a previous zoning change on the property.

Few churches have this land use designation, Burghdoff said, clarifying for residents that Mercy Culture's church-related activities use authorization is "by ordinance, the specific use assigned to this property."

Association members expressed worries about the kinds of people who would be housed there, asking about the possibility of convicted criminals like murderers and sex offenders being allowed to stay.

K.C. Cloud was one of around 70 members who attended Thursday's meeting. She, like many others, voted to approve hiring a lawyer.

"I think it's way too gray on what they're actually doing," she said. "Nobody knows what they're actually doing. And I have a child, and I don't want anything like that near where I'm raising my 7-year-old."

Burghdoff apprised residents that concerns over sex offenders and convicted criminals would be regulated by state officials, and thus would not halt or slow the zoning change approval process with the city.

The city zoning commission will discuss Mercy Culture's site plan amendment proposal on Nov. 13.

The commission has four options to decide on that day. It can approve the amendment; it can approve it with changes; it can delay the case and ask the applicant to make revisions; or it can deny the application.

If the amendment is approved, it goes to the Fort Worth City Council for a vote on Dec. 10.

Citizens will be able to voice their opinions on the project at both meetings, Burghdoff said.