SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The founder of the One Roof holistic health center on Henry Street, Dr. Selma Nemer is one of nearly 20 downtown business owners that sent a letter to Mayor Joanne Yepsen, asking the city to reconsider its plans to open a Code Blue emergency homeless shelter at the Soul Saving Station Church this winter.

"Everybody's in agreement that it's not a good location here," Nemer said Monday morning. "It is a bad location because of Caroline Street, because of the Children's Museum, because of the Lake Avenue School, because of the library, because of One Roof."

Fearing problems that could arise from bringing the homeless population into a neighborhood that's close to both downtown bars and several family-friendly organizations, last week the group met at city hall with local officials and reps from Shelters of Saratoga, which oversees Code Blue.

"Nobody wants it next door. That's the problem," Nemer said.

"I don't think we were necessarily surprised by the response, but really there was no other place we could hold it," said Cindy Harrington, Shelters of Saratoga’s director of marketing and development.

After spending the last two winters at the Salvation Army, Code Blue was forced to find a new home when Salvation Army staff announced in May that housing the shelter placed too much of a burden on other programs. Open on nights when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, Code Blue welcomed an average of 34 guests over 88 nights last winter.

"The goal is to find some sort of location that will be long-term, because it's challenging to have to consistently be moving year after year," Harrington said.

While SOS staff are waiting to hear back about potentially offering some services at the Salvation Army, plans to house Code Blue at Soul Saving Station have not changed. In addition to providing warm beds and meals, the shelter introduces its guest to available services.

"That's the perfect place to make connections with people so they can move on to the next steps to sustainability," Harrington said.

Acknowledging the service is needed in the Spa City, Nemer says she and the other members of her group want to help find a more suitable and permanent option.

"We all have to sacrifice a little bit and compromise a little bit, and that's reality," Nemer said.