Community rallies against
Blondell Avenue homeless shelter
BY KYLE VUILLE
Frustration, rage and
despair poured from the
mouths of community board
10 and 11 residents opposing
the 200-bed men’s homeless
shelter set to be built at 1400
Blondell Avenue.
In response to the news
of the homeless shelter, CB’s
10 and 11, and Councilman
Mark Gjonaj along with Assemblyman
Mike Benedetto
convened a community town
hall meeting on Monday evening,
February 24 to discuss
the public’s concerns.
CB 11 district manager
Jeremy Warneke, CB 11
chairman Al D’Angelo, environmental
attorney John
Parker and CB 10 chairman
Joseph Russo were onstage
to answer the public’s questions.
However, no representatives
from the shelter provider
Care for the Homeless
or the NYC Department
of Homeless Services were
present at the meeting.
According to an email
sent by NYC Human Resources
Agency to CB11,
there are currently 394
households comprised of
841 individuals in shelters
across the city that formerly
resided in CB 11.
The crowd roared in disbelief,
questioning whether
those numbers accurately
accounted for individuals
from the community or if the
last known address was one
of the area’s hospitals.
The email from the provider
to CB11 outlined what
services they plan to offer,
and crucial aspects of the
project, like planned security
within and around the
facility. According to the
email, there would be a 10
p.m. curfew put in place for
those living at the shelter.
Gjonaj explained the zoning
of the property for the
shelter is ‘as of right’ with its
M1-1 zoning.
The councilman added
he has been in contact with
the property owner who was
unaware of the developer’s
intention when he signed
the paperwork because of its
vague description, however,
the deal has yet to be closed.
“This is as proactive as
you possibly get, there’s no
deal, there’s been no meeting,
there’s no contract at
play, and we’re going to do
our best to make sure that
contract doesn’t close,”
Gjonaj said.
Gjonaj and Parker, who
specializes in environmental
and land use law, laid
out some options and tools
available to offi cials and the
community in fi ghting the
shelter’s siting., including
the fact that the development
site is in a fl ood zone. He suggested
forcing the city to perform
various scoping studies
to study the visibility, environmental
impact and site
characteristics, would delay
construction and drive up
the cost.
Parker also informed attendees
how the project can
be slowed down by forcing
the city agencies to be transparent
on what they are doing
throughout the entire
process.
The attorney also mentioned
a fair share analysis
based on the number of
homeless the borough is burdened
to shelter - the Bronx
is the second smallest borough,
but houses the most
shelters.
The loudest outcry at
the town hall came from
members of the Westchester
Square Business Improvement
Disrict, claiming all
the investment and improvements
to the area will be
squandered.
Westchester Square BID
executive director Yasmin
Cruz said $3 million has been
invested into the area and it
has helped substantially, yet
the Square still faces many
issues including violence.
Cruz added in the past
year, the opening of a shelter
for mentally disturbed
women near the Square has
cost the BID time and resources
to hire additional
security.
“To put this on top of the
problems that already exist,
it’s just going to break the
camel’s back,” Cruz said.
Sandi Lusk, president
of the Westchester Square-
Zerega Improvement Organization,
echoed Cruz’words,
saying she worked hard with
the BID and merchants in
the area to create a attractive
shopping area.
“And now If they put this
shelter one block away from
Westchester Square, there
are already 198 homeless
men (so I believe) that are
in Bronx State Hospital, and
they hang out in Westchester
Square,” Lusk exclaimed.
“There will be 400 homeless
men one block away from
Westchester Square!”
“Everything we have
achieved will be destroyed.”
She believes the shelter will
impact the-yet -to-be-built
Blondell Commons development.
“The goal was to have
children, families living
there. Who is going to want
to move there with children?”
she asked.
An unnamed resident of
Blondell Avenue questioned
whether the families planning
to move into Blondell
Commons would be notifi ed
of the shelter if it were to
happen.
After hearing numerous
negative accounts of encounters
with the homeless, Councilman
Gjonaj said he would
be drafting a letter to the
city’s higher ups to discourage
the development and asking
his council colleagues to
use their infl uence to block
the shelter.
3 BRONX WEEKLY March 1, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
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(L-r) CB 11 District Manager Jeremy Warneke, CB11 Chairman Al D’Angelo, Councilman Mark Gjonaj,
Attorney John Parker, and CB10 Chairman Joseph Russo sit on a panel at Jacobi Hospital’s Rotunda
Monday night to hear the public’s feedback on the proposed homeless shelter at 1400 Blondell Avenue
Photo courtesy of Councilman Mark Gjonaj’s offi ce
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