The Watertown City Council Monday night unanimously approved plans for a new victims' shelter on Breen Avenue.

Opponents of the shelter turned out at Monday's council meeting to speak their piece one last time, but it didn't help.

City council approved plans by the Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County to build a shelter for victims of domestic violence on Breen Avenue.

That's despite concerns from people in the neighborhood that the shelter could bring safety problems and that it simply won't fit in.

"I don't look kindly upon it, I know there's several other people that don't," said Angelica Smith, who lives in the neigthborhood.

"Plain and simple, it doesn't fit in our neighborhood. It didn't fit at the beginning of this discussion and it doesn't fit now. It's not going to fit ever," Smith said.

Council members noted that it would be an unpopular decision, but said ultimately the lot is properly zoned for the shelter.

Councilman Jeff Smith said the neighborhood should be proud that it was chosen as the site for the new shelter, but not everyone sees it that way.

"I'm surprised that they want to put a facility in someplace in a neighborhood that clearly does not want them," Angelica Smith said.

Victims Assistance Center director Elaina Marra says she's happy with the decision by the council and she hopes the neighborhood will eventually come around.

I guess I'm an optimist, because I feel that over time it will change," Marra said.

Marra says she hopes to break ground for the new shelter within the year, but that there's no definite timeline at this point.