A city hall appeals board has turned down a bid by the John Howard Society to open a halfway house in the Calgary neighbourhood of Sunalta.

The society already had approval to build the shelter for paroled criminals on 11th Avenue SW, but on Saturday the board ruled in favour of residents who opposed the project.

"Halfway houses are obviously extremely important and provide an essential service to the city as a greater whole," said John Mar, chairman of the citizens coalition that fought the proposal.

"However we were opposed to it due to the location and proximity to schools and to the emerging immigrant population in the area."

The appeal process was spread over three days and board members listened to more than 24 hours of arguments and pleadings.

Gordon Sands, executive director of the John Howard Society in Calgary, said it's difficult to find a community willing to accept a halfway house. Sands said he doesn't know what more can be done to convince the public that the danger posed by paroled criminals is minimal.

"First of all we have to sort of think what our options are, whether we can appeal or just move on to find another site. We have to collect ourselves and discuss that at the board level," he said.

Sands is unsure how much longer the society can stay in their present location in Victoria Park. If they can't find a new home, he said, it may have to close some of its programs.

Neil Hughes, a member of the citizens committee that fought the halfway house, said he now feels an obligation to the John Howard Society find a new home.