KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There is a battle brewing over a proposed homeless shelter on West Park Street in Olathe.

Nowhere was the tension more evident than at a neighborhood meeting Monday night. It was hosted by Project 1020, the nonprofit trying to open the cold weather shelter.

"We do want to be good neighbors. We want to see if there's a way that we can all work together," said Project 1020 President Barbara McEver.

After buying the building, Project 1020 learned city ordinance was changing, and the group would need a special use permit to open the shelter. It requires informing people who live within 500 feet of the building.

Those neighbors were not happy.

"Looking at your hours of operation, you're done at eight in the morning. My children are at the elementary school four blocks away at eight in the morning. I can't allow them to walk to school anymore," said Fred Schmidt.

McEver told the crowd she understood concerns about the shelter's hours, and Project 1020 is open to changing the schedule. She also pointed out mental health professionals will regularly visit the shelter, and there will be computers to help the people who stay there find jobs.

Still, concerns about drugs, alcohol and mental health issues reached a fever pitch during the meeting, with volunteers and neighbors raising their voices, speaking over each other and even breaking down in tears.

"I worked two jobs to buy a house in this neighborhood so my kids didn't have to deal with stuff like this," said one mom who lives near the shelter said.

Other neighbors brought up police visits at Project 1020's temporary shelter at The Branches Church in Olathe. That was a concern cited by the city as well.

"Police have responded to a multitude of issues generated at the facility including assault and battery, drug use, criminal threat and trespassing. There is no security at the facility, and there is no screening process for those staying," wrote Tim Danneberg, a spokesman for the city.

Since Dec. 1, 2018, Olathe police have responded to 24 calls at the temporary shelter, police spokesman Sgt. Logan Bonney said Tuesday.

"Additionally, we have seen an uptick in calls for service from area businesses and both of our Olathe library locations related to homeless individuals," Bonney said in an email.

According to Project 1020, people who come to the shelter are screened for weapons. If a conflict arises, they try to diffuse the situation, but if that's not possible, volunteers call police.

41 Action News visited the neighborhood next to the temporary shelter, where residents had mixed opinions.

"They have to have a place to go, but I know what comes with it. We've got the mental health issues with some of these people, the drugs, the alcohol," said Robert Kuhn.

While Kuhn had not experienced any problems, he said some neighbors did have negative encounters like trespassing with the people staying at the shelter.

Amid the permit problems, the city of Olathe offered to buy the property from Project 1020. The group said that is still an option, but it would like to address neighbors' concerns and make the current location work.

City council will vote on Project 1020's permit on March 11.