After homelessness complaints, city removes benches from Vista street corner
Wade Sellers saw the man on the bench almost every day. An older homeless man, he was a regular in Columbia’s Vista, recognizable by the bag he carried and the cane he used to get around.
Last week, Sellers noticed the familiar face wasn’t on the bench near his Lincoln Street office. And neither was the bench he usually sat on.
Three benches were removed from the intersection of Lady and Lincoln streets about two weeks ago, surprising business owners in the downtown district and raising concerns about what would happen to the people who used to sit in the area regularly.
City Councilman Howard Duvall said Columbia police decided to remove the benches after a business owner complained about homeless people in the area harassing customers.
He pointed to a similar change in downtown bus shelters, which have replaced benches with narrower seats to discourage the homeless from sleeping there.
“Anything with benches in it almost becomes a home for the homeless,” Duvall said. “It’s a trade-off. Do you want to attract a nuisance that scares people away from your business, or do you want to have a leisure spot?”
The Columbia Police Department said the benches had been removed following “repeated concerns from the public about continuous panhandling,” and noted officers had observed the benches “being used as beds for extended periods of time,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons.
Timmons said the benches had been moved to the entrance way of police headquarters for visitors to use.
But some worry the removal of the benches will reduce the walkability and social atmosphere of the area, and unfairly impacts a vulnerable population.
“The guys I know are (homeless), I never had a problem with them,” said Sellers, the owner of Coal Powered Filmworks. “They don’t bother anybody.”
He said he often used the benches himself when he walked his dogs in the area. “I have a lot of issues with how this was handled,” he said.
The Congaree Vista Guild, which represents merchants in the neighborhood, was not aware the benches would be removed before they disappeared, said Executive Director Abby Naas. She said the guild has met with business owners concerned about the benches’ removal, and has notified its “clean and safe” team that assists with pedestrians in the area.
Outreach coordinators with various agencies around the Midlands also reach out to homeless people on the street to let them know about shelters and services they can turn to in the area, said Jennifer Moore, senior director of United Way of the Midlands.
Transitions Homeless Center on Main Street is open during the day to provide people with meals, a chance to shower and other opportunities, and the Mental Illness Recovery Center also operates a drop-in center for youth on Gregg Street. Richland Library also has programs for homeless people at its Assembly Street location.
“Having places where everyone in the community to sit is good, but having connections to services and housing needs is more important,” Moore said.
Deborah Boone, the homeless coordinator for Richland School District One’s student support services, worries removing the benches could impact more than the homeless population.
“It seems somewhat insensitive and a bit harsh,” Boone said. “It’s not just the homeless. Families and shoppers need a place to sit down... Did they consider other measures before going to that extreme.”
Concerns about homelessness have led to other changes downtown. Years ago, the City Center Partnership placed portable tables and chairs in the area beside Tapp’s Arts Center on Main Street as an alternative to public benches. The group has since spread the sitting arrangement up and down Main Street, placing 35 tables and 70 chairs in an area without a lot of public seating options otherwise.
“In other cities, we’ve found that portable tables and chairs add to a city’s vitality,” said Matt Kennell, the president of the City Center Partnership. “A bench that’s bolted to the sidewalk becomes a piece of real estate. Someone will come and make their home on it.”
Molly Harrell, a photographer who lives and works on Columbia’s Main Street, said she still sees homeless people sitting at the tables sometimes, but “they don’t cause any harm. As long as they’re quiet, nobody says anything.”
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