The Tyrone Planning Commission March 30 voted to recommend an amendment to the Table of Uses in the town’s zoning ordinance that would allow the establishment of a youth center within the M-2 zoning category. The center would be located in donated space in Shamrock Industrial Park.

Volunteer Director and FedEx employee John Paone, who currently provides similar youth counseling services in another location, said establishing the center would meet a variety of community needs. Among those would be tutoring in math, Social Studies, English as a Second Language, job training and experience related to live radio broadcasts. Proposed plans also included the possibility of eventually holding Christian music concerts at the facility, Paone said. The main focus, however, would be to provide on-site counselors for youth in the areas of depression and suicide prevention. This is a real issue, Paone said, referring to recent suicides and suicide attempts in the area. The crux of the effort, he said, lies in the effort’s faith-based focus. The youth center, to be called Shamrock’s, has already received substantial donations, including 10 computers from FedEx, Paone said.

A concern surfaced over some of the proposed uses at the site and whether the location was appropriate. The youth center proposal calls for it to be located in two of the suites at 180 Shamrock Industrial Boulevard in space donated by owner George Valdez.

Town Attorney Brad Sears explained that some of the proposed uses for the youth center had previously been removed from the Table of Uses for M-2 zoning and that, effectively, the applicant is requesting that those uses be re-instated. Town Manager Barry Amos said the current M-2 zoning prohibits uses such as churches and assembly halls, citing some of the uses proposed by Paone as being in conflict with the Table of Uses. If the measure was approved it would necessitate revising the Table of Uses for the M-2 category in the zoning ordinance.

During the discussion commissioner Kevin Edwards commented on the allowances and prohibitions in the current Table of Uses. He cited a more global outlook that centered as much in intention as in the table.

“Should we be looking at reasons to say no or reasons to say yes,” he said. “I can’t think of a better area. There would be no noise problems and it would be great for small gatherings but not concerts. The pluses outweigh the minuses. How can you say no to this and yes to a rollerblade park?”

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