Farmville Town Council will hold two public hearings during its Jan. 11 meeting as part of Southside Center for Violence Prevention (SCVP) Inc.’s bid to operate a domestic violence shelter at 1412 Longwood Ave. in Farmville. Council members made the decision during their meeting Wednesday.

SCVP operates Madeline’s House, a domestic violence safe house, and the Piedmont Crisis Center, a sexual assault crisis center.

The hearings, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11, will focus on a rezoning amendment to change the property from R-1 Residential to B-3 Business and a zoning amendment adding domestic violence shelters to permitted uses in a B-3 Business zone.

During council’s Wednesday meeting, property owners Ed and Mike Helton, along with SCVP Executive Director Glenn O. Fowlkes, came before council to address concerns and answer questions posed during its work session last week.

In explaining operations at Madeline’s House, Fowlkes said safety, food and basic necessities are provided to victims and their families “to be able to get (them) back on their feet. We’re designed as a 30-day program. We’re not strict on that, because lots of these victims are coming to us have lost all of their IDs. You’ve got to be able to get somebody on their feet before jobs (and) apartments could be found. We’re doing a lot of connecting with different agencies.”

Madeline’s House needs a conditional use permit from the council to operate the shelter. The permit request is contingent on the rezoning and zoning amendment requests.

During Wednesday’s meeting, council agreed to send the conditional use permit request to the planning commission so it could hold a public hearing on the matter. Council itself will hold a separate public hearing.

In October, the Farmville Planning Commission recommended approval of the permit to council with the conditions that the shelter have a “highly sophisticated alarm system and lighting,” nine bedrooms to house up to 25 people, off-street parking, a 6-foot white vinyl fence, staffing 24/7 and house only male clients.

Wednesday, Fowlkes addressed licensure, as well as counseling at and the location of the facility.

“That’s certainly something that, while we understand the need in terms of it having to be rezoned and this degree of publicity, we certainly prefer that we didn’t have that publicity,” he said of the public knowing the exact location of the shelter. “However, in this day and age, my contention is really high-tech security is probably our best deterrent.”

According to Fowlkes, some men or boys could be admitted to the shelter, offering an example of an older male child of an abused parent.

“We run tight rules in terms of no one else coming in other than who we’ve admitted in,” he said. “The security part is the biggest thing we’re seeking to offer to these families.”

Fowlkes said maximum occupancy could run around 20 people.

“It could be a little more than that,” he said.

Town Manager Gerald Spates said he spoke to Blackstone’s town manager, who said the town had no issues with the group’s Nottoway location, calling it “a very well-run operation.”

Fowlkes said funding comes from several grants and donations from the community.

The shelter could employ up to seven full-time employees, he said.

“These families are very self-sufficient, mostly speaking,” Fowlkes said.

Asked by council, Police Chief A.Q. “Andy” Ellington said he had no concerns with the location of the proposed shelter.

According to the permit application, the building formerly housed Calvary Church on a .631-acre lot.

According to its website, Madeline’s House can currently provide shelter for up to 12 people.