Council approves rezoning for Sisters of Solace at 3024 Frederick Avenue

The St. Joseph City Council voted to rezone 3024 Frederick Avenue from R‑1A (detached single‑family residential) to C‑1 (neighborhood shopping), approving a request by Sisters of Solace to use the property for an expanded residential program and small retail operations. The motion carried with an 8‑0 vote.

Trina Clark, speaking on behalf of Sisters of Solace, told the council the organization runs a residential program serving women who are survivors of exploitation, trauma, trafficking and addiction. "Sisters of Solace is a residential program for women survivors of exploitation, trauma, trafficking, and addiction," Clark said, describing a yearlong residential stay in which participants receive counseling, job training and support to reintegrate into the community. She said the group also operates a small business manufacturing soy candles and body products and hopes to open a retail shop and coffee service on the site to provide supervised job training and meeting space.

Clark described the proposed use as small‑scale and community‑oriented: office and meeting space for classes, retail space to showcase handcrafted products and a coffee area to teach customer service, all intended to help residents build job skills and confidence. She said the building has operated as a business for about 30 years and features a large parking lot suitable for customer access.

Council closed the public hearing after three calls for speakers and recorded an 8‑vote unanimous approval of the rezoning request. No amending motion or conditions were recorded in the meeting transcript.

The rezoning will allow Sisters of Solace to locate combined residential and small commercial activity at the 3024 Frederick Avenue address; city staff or later council actions may define implementing conditions or permits required for retail operations and occupancy changes. The council did not provide a timetable for permits or occupancy to begin.