First on the commissioners' menu was a heated helping of protests against the Kelly Benson Apartments for homeless seniors, slated for construction late this year at 3100 S. 3600 West, West Valley City. The apartments would land right next to a sky bridge elementary and junior high students cross from the west side of Bangerter Highway en route to school.

Citing what they see as troubling police data gathered around a similar apartment complex serving the homeless in downtown Salt Lake City, parents pleaded with commissioners to consider alternative West Valley locations for the apartments. Presenting a petition with nearly 1,300 signatures opposing the development, parents and others called the Kelly Benson Apartments "the right project at the wrong location."

"I've been told that if I could meet the people this project would serve, I might change my mind," said Shuree Chesnut, a mother of four children. "But I say that if you could meet my children, maybe you'd change your mind. This facility brings a lot of risk - risk that cannot be mitigated, at least not in whole."

Opponents said the time is right to change the location because the project lost more than $5 million in tax credit funding when the Salt Lake Housing Authority assumed the project from another developer late last summer, failing to meet a construction deadline by the end of last year. Commissioners plan to reapply for that funding again, but so far have no plans to change locations.

"We designed [the apartment complex] for that location, but we would like to study the information you've provided us." Kerry Bate, the authority's executive director, told the crowd.

Project critics, organized under the name SaveOurKidsUtah.com, contend that police call information collected from the Sunrise Metro Apartments serving the homeless at 542 W. 600 South reveal an increase in crimes to that area since its opening last spring. Sunrise Metro houses tenants of all ages, while Kelly Benson will house those 55 and older.

Bate accused critics of "cherry picking" police call data, while critics said they were not assuaged by his assurance that tenants of all Salt Lake Housing Authority projects must pass a rigorous Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office background check denying tenancy to drug offenders, those with violent behavior or registered sex offenders.

Randy Tousley, a West Valley parent of two children who will attend Hillside Elementary, said he's not comforted that Kelly Benson Apartments will house only older tenants. He said five of the 12 crimes on record at the Metro Sunrise Apartments were committed by people 55 and older. "If that happened even after the authority's screening process there, we can expect an increase in police calls at Kelly Benson," Tousley said. "And that doesn't belong near a safe route to school."

West Valley City Councilman Mike Winder said the city changed zoning in the area to allow housing developments for seniors, but was surprised to find that the zoning change also allowed housing for homeless seniors.

As a parent, he would prefer an alternative location for the development. As a councilman, however, he must be careful not to advocate his position, as seniors and the homeless are protected against discrimination by the federal Fair Housing Act. West Valley City must instead wait for the Salt Lake County Housing Authority to approach it.

"The city would be glad to help them," Winder said.

bfulton@sltrib.com