The proposed homeless shelter in Rockaway Park remains closed to worker following a court ruling against the city. Photos courtesy of Torey Schnupp
Shelter for homeless men in
Rockaway Park remains on hold
BY BILL PARRY
A controversial shelter
for single adult men, which
was scheduled to open next
month in Rockaway Park,
will remain shuttered after
a state Supreme Court justice
extended a temporary
restraining order against
further construction at the
facility.
Attorney Mike Scala, representing
the community,
was opposed by city lawyers
representing the Department
of Homeless Services
and counsel for the service
provider at Queens Supreme
Court in Jamaica.
“We had the second hearing
in the case and the court
is now considering whether
s preliminary injunction
should be issues, which
would keep operations ceased
through the duration of the
case,” Scala said. “Hopefully
we will have a final decision
in the next two weeks.”
In the meantime the facility,
located at 226 Beach 101st
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | FEB. 7-FEB. 13, 2020
St., should remain locked up
and construction workers
should not be entering it.
“We presented evidence
of multiple violations of the
temporary restraining order
that was issued on Jan. 17,”
Scala said.
The attorney has raised
multiple legal issues during
the proceedings including
that DHS’ environmental review
was improper, that the
108 bed shelter would constitute
a residence for the mentally
disabled in violation of
state law which has a cap of
48 individuals and he argued
there was evidence of financial
impropriety with the notfor
profit service provider.
QNS reached out to DHS
and is awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, Torey Schnupp,
the lead petitioner in the
case and activist behind the
group Rockaway Solutions
Not Shelters, has stated
Rockaway is not the place
for such a shelter as many in
the community are still recovering
from Sandy.
“When you see a neighborhood
trying to recover, and
still recover, the last thing
you want to do is put an at-risk
population in such a narrow
piece of land,” she told NY1.
“The Rockaway community,
we united to stop this from
happening. We don’t have to
take what the city wants to
dish on everybody.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4538.
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