You CAN Fight City Hall
At least that’s the way Councilman Dr. David Gordon made us feel at the Sunday, November 23rd gathering of homeowners at Pacific Park. Nearly 75 homeowners who live near the park attended an impromptu meeting to voice concerns and opposition to the Homeless Shelter due to open at the National Guard Armory, which is adjacent to Pacific Park, on December 1st. Dr. Gordon addressed the group at the invitation of Alicia Blevins, one of the concerned homeowners.
The homeowners responded to a flyer prepared by Lorena Garcia on Saturday, Nov. 22nd. Some were the same people who attended the October 28th Council Meeting when the Council voted 4 to 1 to approve the use of the Armory as a shelter for unfortunate homeless alcohol and drug addicts, described as “guests”.
As one of the homeowners who attended this meeting I can tell you many felt that this accommodation was made without their knowledge, let alone their consent. When it was presented to the Council on October 14th, it appeared that it was already set to open and staff members were formalizing the plans which would, incidentially, include a plan that would inform the “impact” portion of the community about the project (which they did on October 25th).
When the Council approved the plan on October 28th, any opposition was interpreted as “heartless”. And, Vice Mayor Gary Bric, trying to assuage residents’ concerns about safety – especially for the children who play in Pacific Park – was quoted in the Burbank Leader (Oct. 29) as saying the shelter is “100% lockdown”. However, Dave Martel, the contract manager for the LA Homeless Services Authority, is quoted in the Burbank Leader (Oct. 27) as saying, “The shelter is not locked down, but shelter guests are informed that it’s a bus-in and bus-out only. If somebody goes to the park and stays there, they will not be able to get back into the shelter.”
Several homeowners plan to attend the Council meeting on November 25th, to again voice objection to the location of this project. Join us there.
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