Plans for Carbon County's first women's shelter were dealt a setback Wednesday night.

The zoning hearing board in Lansford Borough voted 3-0 to deny a zoning request made by Family Promise of Carbon County to convert a home into a women's shelter.The nonprofit organization had sought to convert a half-a-double unit into a temporary homeless shelter for single women.Family Promise owns both halves of 605-607 E. Ridge St. and currently rents out the other half.In the end, the board said that the organization did not prove that the shelter was allowed in the zoning district where it is proposed."As we reviewed (the zoning ordinance) there was no evidence to support their case," Joe Orsulak, the board chairman, said.Family Promise officials testified that the shelter would be limited to four single women, at least 18 years of age.They would be limited to a 90-day stay, drug tested, and required to participate in the Family Promise's programs aimed at helping people work their way out of poverty.They currently house homeless women in a network of churches around the county."The goal is that they can find housing without relying on the government when they leave," Natalie Bojko, executive director of Family Promise, said.Bojko said the women would be supervised by a house mother - who would either occupy one of the four beds in the shelter, or rent 605 E. Ridge St.The house was donated to Family Promise last year. Because of the agency's small budget, grant money would be needed to complete the project, Bojko said.Sky Fogal, the president of Family Promise's board of directors, presented letters from St. John's Byzantine Catholic Church in Lansford and the Carbon Chamber of Commerce voicing their support for the project.A handful of neighbors who also live on the 600 block of East Ridge Street said they had concerns about a shelter being located on their block, primarily about parking and potential visitors.William Chuma asked if any of the residents would have mental health problems, and if it was possible that they could destroy neighbors' property."If one of them goes on a tangent and does damage to a neighbor's vehicle, a neighbor's house, or starts a fire, start burning houses down? Can you guarantee that isn't going to happen?Dwight Penberth questioned whether the nonprofit would be responsible enough to maintain the facility, because it has failed to cut high grass on the property.Steve Foster said that he had been inside the house at one time, and 605 and 607 had been made into a single unit. He also recalled that the wiring inside was not up to code."I have nothing against what you're trying to do. It's just a residential area, and I was under the understanding when they built the town houses, that's what it was for, for emergency purposes," Foster said.After the hearing, Family Promise officials said that they were deciding how to move forward despite limited funds to wage a legal fight for the shelter."We're disappointed, but not defeated," Bojko said.