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Recommendation that three separate votes be taken:
1. Reaffirm approval of the reuse of the entire Schroeder Hall site for
an East Division Police Substation;
2. Rescind the approval of the offsite homeless assistance
accommodation at the 1-acre City's Public Health and
Human Services Department-owned site; and
3. Rescind an alternate proposal that would provide onsite homeless
assistance accommodation in conjunction with an East Division
Police Substation.
DISCUSSION
Transfer of Surplus Military Property
The City of Long Beach has filed an application to reuse approximately 5 acres of land now occupied at Willow and Grand Avenue by the U.S. Army Schroeder Reserve Hall.
As a condition of the reuse, the City of Long Beach was informed that it was required to accommodate homeless services providers by either providing land on the site or another site that was approved by the selected homeless services provider. In this instant matter, Mental Health America of Los Angeles was the selected provider and it agreed to use a one-acre lot within the campus of the City's Department of Health and Human Services on Burnett and Grand, just steps from the Schroeder Hall site.
The City Council approved the application for reuse of Schroeder Army Reserve Hall as a police substation and use of the one acre property within the campus of the City's Department of Health and Human Services as the City's required accommodation of the homeless, on an 8-1 vote.
Three separate votes were taken on December 18, 2007:
1) Approve the reuse of the entire Schroeder Hall site for an
East Division Police Substation;
2) Approve the offsite homeless assistance accommodation
at the 1-acre Health Department-owned site; and
3) Approve an alternate proposal that would be used in the
case that the offsite accommodation is not provided for,
that provides onsite homeless assistance accommodation
in conjunction with an East Division Police Substation.
Since that time, numerous residents of the residential area located % miles from and beyond the proposed services for mentally ill homeless have protested the placement of such a program at that location.
Extension of Deadline for Application from HUD
Following a comment to the Press Telegram from HUD spokesperson Brian Sullivan in April 2009 that the deadline for submitting an application for reuse of Schroeder Army Reserve Hall had passed and that the City could not ask for an extension of the deadline, I contacted Linda R. Charest, Base Realignment and Closure Coordinator Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, Room #7266, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410 (w) 202.402.2595 (f)202.401.0053, who is responsible for reviewing BRAC applications.
Ms. Charest responded via e-mail and by telephone conversation and stated the following:
(Question: Can Long Beach request an extension of the deadline for submitting its application?)
(Charest's Answer:) "I can confirm for you that there is no provision to extend the deadline for a BRAC application that has already been submitted. By law, the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) must submit a BRAC application to HUD for review no later than 270 days after the deadline for Notices of Interest (NOIs) in using the property for homeless assistance or other public purposes. The City of Long Beach submitted the BRAC application within the statutory timelines, and HUD is currently reviewing the Schroeder Hall application as submitted. "
(Question: Can Long Beach withdraw its application for reuse of Schroeder Army Reserve Hall?)
(Charest's Answer:) "To answer your specific questions regarding rescinding or withdrawing the application, the statute and implementing regulations are silent as to whether an LRA can withdraw an application and no one has ever tried it. If the LRA were to attempt to withdraw the application, it would appear to trigger the adverse determination process as outlined in 24 CFR 586.40, under which HUD would issue a final adverse determination for the reason that the LRA did not submit an application within the required time period. I've attached a copy of the pertinent regulations for your review but, for your convenience, will describe the procedure here. The adverse determination process involves reviewing the withdrawn submission and consulting with the homeless service providers to gauge their continuing interest in using the property for homeless assistance. Based on that review, HUD would advise the Army and the LRA of the property that HUD determines is suitable for homeless use. The Army would then dispose of the property."
(Question: Are there any other cities which have received surplus military property without having to accommodate the needs of the homeless?)
(Charest"s Answer:) "As far as other locations getting surplus property and not accommodating the homeless, this simply is not true. I know of zero BRAC closures since the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994, as amended, was passed where HUD approved a plan where there was (1) a capable homeless assistance provider who
submitted (2) a doable NOI, and the LRA rejected the NOI in favor of another use. In the case of the Alexandria, V A location, the homeless assistance was provided off-site in Cameron Station's reuse plan. Cameron Station was a 1988 base closure, closed under a different statute under which homeless assistance providers were given first priority use of surplus property. I would be happy to conduct additional research if specific installations are provided."
(Question: Can Long Beach be given credit for the many.other programs it assists which serve the needs of the homeless as satisfaction of our accommodation in order to obtain the surplus military property?)
(Charest's Answer:) "It's not a matter of what Long Beach is currently doing to help the homeless. The LRA is required by law to submit a plan for the reuse of Schroeder Hall that balances the needs of the homeless, as expressed by the NOIs received, with the economic redevelopment and other development needs of Long Beach. I hope this helps your understanding of the BRAC process."
Ms. Charest stated emphatically that she is available to take any questions from anyone regarding our application and that she has provided the same information to residents of Long Beach who called with their objections to this application.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
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Respectfully Submitted,
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske
Fifth District