CHAPEL HILL - The Town Council will hold a public hearing Monday night to change the town's definition of "shelter" to allow more than 25 men to stay at the proposed homeless facility at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Homestead Road.

Although the town's ordinance allows a shelter for up to 25, the men's shelter on West Rosemary Street and Project Homestart for women and children on Homestead Road each house more than 50 people.

The council is considering a change that would fix that discrepancy and allow for the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service's planned 52-bed men's shelter on MLK.

"I don't think anybody knew that the ordinance said 25," said IFC director Chris Moran. "We brought it to the town's attention. ... We obviously want it to change."

The town's staff and a unanimous Planning Board are recommending that the council eliminate any cap on beds within the ordinance and then mandate the cap as part of a special-use permit for IFC's proposal.

The public can comment on the proposed change at Town Hall Monday night at 7 p.m.

The Town Council's agenda includes 46 pages of e-mails from residents opposing the change. Only one resident had written in support.

"A greater number of gathered homeless human beings equals more crime, substance abuse, and mental illness," wrote neighbor Qingqi Chen.