Those fighting against the proposed homeless shelter at 78-16 Cooper Ave. in Glendale received a bit of good news last week, when the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) revoked the floor plans for the shelter after a full audit of the plans.
The notice to revoke — which according to the DOB is pending until the plan review is completed — stalls the progress of the property owner, Michael Wilner, in renovating the former factory, which the nonprofit group Samaritan Village plans to use as a homeless shelter. The full audit found that the plans are not up to full code compliance, according to a DOB representative.
“The project at this site remains under department review, and at this time there has not been a determination of the plan’s compliance with all applicable codes or the zoning resolution,” said a DOB spokesperson in an email.
According to Robert Holden — a member of the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition, a group consisting of residents, businesspeople and community leaders dedicated to opposing the shelter — the DOB originally disapproved the building plans for the site, then later gave the plans the green light.
Once hearing of the plans’ approval, the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition raised enough money to legally challenge the Buildings Department. As a result, the DOB found “a laundry list of problems,” Holden said.
“I don’t know why the Department of Buildings approved their application when there were so many flaws,” Holden added. “It was mind-boggling that they approved it.”
The coalition previously filed legal action against the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), which previously approved a contract to open and operate the Glendale shelter, over what the coalition considered to be a flawed environmental assessment of the location. The building is located in an industrially zoned area, was used for manufacturing for decades and is adjacent to a chemical storage facility.
Holden hopes the coalition can build off the momentum of this latest snag in the shelter plans.
“It is certainly another win for the neighborhood,” Holden said. “I think this demonstrates the resolve of the community that we came together. Most other communities wouldn’t do this. We raised enough money to fight, but the fight isn’t over yet.”
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