editorial-opinion
CB11 was non-transparent about planned White Plains Road men’s shelter
BYROXANNE DELGADO
“No one told us” in an angry disbelief
tone said by many residents upon
recently hearing about the 140-men
homeless shelter planned opening
this fall at 2028 White Plains Road,
also known as 2040 Bronx Park E.
This location is commonly referred
to by most residents as the Bronxdale
Bingo Hall which is now permanently
closed. Most of the residents heard
about this shelter from one of the 400
fl iers that Friends of Pelham Parkway
posted and handed out on Jan. 9.
The city Department of Homeless
Services (DHS) sent a notifi cation,
dated Oct. 8, 2021, to the local community
board’s district manager of
its planned men’s shelter opening at
White Plains Road. The community
board did not notify the community
nor hold any meetings on it. It does
seem that the district manager informed
many of the sitting community
board members which is why it
fi nally reached me in December as rumored,
but not as a concrete plan for
opening this shelter. Upon request, I
received a DHS notifi cation and realized
it was a concrete plan happening
with no public notice or input.
Can Friends of Pelham Parkway,
a dedicated but small group of volunteers,
stop the homeless men’s shelter
The location of a planned men’s shelter on Poplar Street. Another men’s shelter is now being
planned within the confi nes of Community Board 11, on White Plains Road. Photo | Jason Cohen
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BRONX TIMES R 12 EPORTER, FEB. 4-10, 2022
on White Plains Road? Defi nitely
not! What we are doing is taking upon
ourselves the community board’s responsibility
to empower our community
with information, strategies,
partnerships, media outreach and
answering people’s questions to the
best of our ability.
From public records, we found
that 2028 White Plains Owner LLC
incorporated on Aug. 13,2021, bought
the old bingo hall for $3.2 million
on Sept. 30,2021. The zoning for this
property is C8-1, which is for commercial
uses. We were told that the
lease of the laundromat at this location
expires this July. Also, the new
owner has a permit for the sidewalk
shed as well as for active electric and
plumbing work. We were also told
that the property is as of right, which
means a shelter can be built at the
Bronxdale Hall site. How a homeless
shelter can be built in a commercial
zone confuses us.
Suggested arguments opposing
this shelter is its close proximity
to schools such as PS 105, and playgrounds
such as the Brady Playground.
Also, the lack of notice to the
public is an issue, as well as the lack
of response to the current issues the
community deals with daily, including
vandalism, loitering and public
safety — all remain unaddressed.
The community is at its breaking
point.
Also, that this will be the third
men’s shelter in CB 11, seems unjust
and unequal. There is a 200-bed men’s
shelter coming to 1364-1400 Blondell
Ave., and another 200-bed men’s shelter
coming to 2443 Poplar St.
When DHS notifi ed CB11 of the
200-bed men’s shelter in Morris Park
on Stillwell Avenue, the board held
a meeting with DHS within a month
and wrote at least four letters in opposition,
based on its proximity to a
school. Later that year, DHS had this
Morris Park shelter relocated to 2443
Poplar St., per the request of CB11.
Allegations were reported later that
the board and council member had
this location steered for other reasons.
How the board handled the bingo
hall shelter differently compared to
the proactive handling of the proposed
Morris Park shelter concerns
us the most. The board did not notify
the community of the homeless
shelter planned for the closed bingo
hall. Also, the board took no action
in opposition to this location and no
public discussions or meetings were
held on this shelter until a recent
housing committee meeting on Jan.
11. The public meeting with DHS is
scheduled for Feb. 3, four months after
DHS notifi ed the board of its initial
plan. CB11 did not offer any alternative
locations. And we strongly
believe that one of the two shelters
slated for Blondell Avenue and Polar
Street has been steered to the bingo
hall.
The community must immediately
address this planned men’s
shelter at 2028 White Plains Road. A
united community can stop this shelter
by holding our City Council member
accountable and showing up to
the public meeting with DHS on Feb.
3. The long-term concern is the politics
and self-interest that infl uences
CB11 without any accountability,
and the 2028 White Plains Road shelter
status is one of symptoms of this
disarray.
Roxanne Delgado is the founder of
the Friends of Pelham Parkway.
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