The showdown between a downtown lawyer and his unwelcome, unscrubbed neighbors at the homeless shelter across the street has come to an anti-climactic end: personal injury lawyer Harry C. Arthur has dropped the suit.
Arthur had sued Christ Church Cathedral and its homeless outreach program, The Beacon, last December, saying the urchins were a public nuisance who were destroying the value of his business and his property.
But according to a press release from The Beacon, Arthur dropped the suit after "private meetings between lawyers for both sides." The meetings "resulted in an announcement from Christ Church that it will form a neighborhood advisory board which will have representation from the church, neighboring landowners, and clients of The Beacon. Mr. Arthur's wife, Kathy Arthur, has agreed to serve as one of the neighbor members."
The members of this board will "share insights and mutual concerns" and talk about the best way to "coexist in harmony with neighboring landowners."
Sounds very bumper-stickerish to us, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that both sides can work something out, outside of a courtroom.
Rev. Joe D. Reynolds, the dean of the Cathedral, stated in the press release, "We are grateful that a way has been found to move forward with the Cathedral's mission of service in a way that is responsive to all the members of this neighborhood. The problems of homelessness and poverty diminish the lives of human beings and adversely impact the city of Houston. My prayer -- and expectation -- is that a neighborhood advisory council will find ways for The Beacon to be a part of the solution that are ever more caring, efficient and attentive to all God's children."
Craig Malisow covers crooks, quacks, animal abusers, elected officials, and other assorted people for the Houston Press.
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