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* ABC Chicago…
A group of West Town residents have filed for a temporary restraining order to delay the opening of a shelter for Chicago migrants in the neighborhood.
The building designated for the shelter is a two-story structure that is currently an empty warehouse. It is zoned C1-2, which only allows for retail on the bottom and seven 700 square foot apartments above, but next week 200 migrant families are expected to move in.
[Resident and plaintiff James Cole] and several other residents who leave near the proposed shelter near Western and Ohio filed the lawsuit, saying the legal action isn’t about not wanting migrants in their backyard and instead is about the city bypassing the traditional zoning and permit process. […]
“The reason why we are in this situation is the mayor’s office has not been transparent with the process,” said 36th Alderman Gil Villegas.
Ald. Villegas said legal action will force the courts to decide if the city can use the executive order to bypass zoning laws. Residents said all they want is to be able to voice their concerns about a building they believe may not be suitable for so many families.
“Even other areas in our neighborhood that host them more humanly would be a better solution, but we haven’t had due process and our opinion to weigh in on that,” Cole said.
* Block Club Chicago…
The complaint also argues a lack of building permits issued during renovations of the facility endangers the block and neighborhood and lowers property values. […]
Ultimately, the lawsuit’s backers hope a court will decide how the Johnson administration can interpret the governor’s disaster proclamation and whether they can legally open temporary shelters without following zoning and construction rules, McKnight said.
“Really what we’re asking the court to decide is: Does the governor mean that we’re going to suspend the zoning regulations or the building code or whatever else you want to apply to it?” McKnight said. “Our position is that if the governor had meant to do that, the governor would have put it in the emergency proclamation or entered an executive order.”
The Mayor’s Office did not return a request for comment. At the Ukrainian Village community meeting, officials cited the disaster order to explain why the city does not need to follow established protocols for opening buildings when launching a temporary shelter.
South Shore residents re-filed a lawsuit to stop the city from housing asylum-seekers in public buildings earlier this month.
* Related…
* Tribune | Chicago renews migrant shelter contract with Favorite Staffing for another year despite criticism: Favorite Healthcare Staffing and the city on Monday signed a $40 million extension through October 2024. It’s Johnson’s third extension for the firm and empowers the company to continue hiring caseworkers, security guards, janitors and other employees for the roughly two dozen migrant shelters housing thousands of Chicago’s asylum-seekers.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago community organizations team up to provide health care for migrants: The influx of patients has led to a need for more bilingual health care workers. “We welcome any staff members who do have skills to help us in all of our sites throughout the city,” said Vicencio.
* Fox Chicago | Chicago volunteers assemble kits for migrants as suburb begins vaccination clinics: On Thursday evening, more than 50 volunteers assembled roughly 500 personal care kits. They’ll be distributed to migrants living at police stations, where there are still more than 3,000 new arrivals awaiting shelter placement.
posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:16 am
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Previous Post: Open thread
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=“The reason why we are in this situation is the mayor’s office has not been transparent with the process,” said 36th Alderman Gil Villegas.=
These alderpeople are some kind of real prima donnas. Is it some mystery at this point that the city ios scrambling to find places for these folks? Does city hall need to have a personal kissing of the ring everytime aa migrants housed in their ward. As bad as Johnson’s response has been, especially organizationally, this stuff is just ridiculous. Be a help to these people not a hindrance.
=but we haven’t had due process and our opinion to weigh in on that,”=
You have no “due process” rights here. Quit acting like these people are criminals.
A lot of progressives are owning themselves these days, no need for maga types to do it anymore.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:39 am
== The Mayor’s Office did not return a request for comment.==
And that is the crux of all this. The mayor is MIA. Ronnie Reese is MIA. Personnel is policy and the mayor has chosen loyalty over effective governance. The result? A sinking ship 6 months in.
Comment by Shake It Up Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:41 am
Some of these people probably call themselves Christians.
Comment by Big Dipper Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:42 am
I do love holier than thou Nimby’s. Hypocrisy is alive and well.
Comment by Interesting Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:43 am
@Shake it up. The mayor deserves criticism here. I’ll add that that does not excuse the plaintiffs here. Their lawsuit will delay the housing of migrants and that’s wrong.
@Big Dipper. You don’t recall Christ’s teachings on zoning policy?
Comment by JJJJJJJJJJ Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:51 am
We keep hearing both “winter is coming” and “but not here.”
Comment by Big Dipper Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:52 am
=== isn’t about not wanting migrants in their backyard and instead is about the city bypassing the traditional zoning and permit process ===
BS
People are hungry and cold and wet and desperate. Delaying their comfort under the guise of bureaucratic process is offensive to the sensibilities of anyone with a heart.
BS
Comment by H-W Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 10:57 am
The fear of the asylum seekers confounds me. It is an empty warehouse - empty. As soon as they are allowed to work legally, they will and will be taxpayers and helping to reduce the worker voids we have in Chicago. Ugh!
Comment by levivotedforjudy Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 11:05 am
Permits? We don’t need no stinkin permits./s
Seriously though, it’s too late to go through the usual red tape. It has now become an emergency.
Comment by DuPage Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 11:07 am
=== The complaint also argues a lack of building permits issued during renovations of the facility endangers the block and neighborhood and lowers property values. ===
These NIMBY lawsuits usually strike me as un-American interference with property rights, but this one has the added layer of being nonsensical on its own terms. Was an empty warehouse really that good for property values?
Comment by vern Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 11:10 am
Like it or not, the governor should step in and have the state take control of the situation.
It’s becoming a fiasco and the mud is all going to splash back on him anyway, especially with the world’s eyes turning towards Chicago next summer for the DNC (and contrasting RNC right up the road in Milwaukee).
Unfortunately, the state agency that would take the lead there, IEMA, seems to be beset with its own considerable internal problems.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 11:11 am
For anyone interested in what this building that’s supposed to host 200 looks like currently the real estate listing is still online. It’s pretty raw space.
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/526-N-Western-Ave-Chicago-IL/28874074/
Comment by ChicagoBars Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 11:13 am
The post from ChicagoBars features a site on Western Ave. that looks like a suitable shelter rather than tents.
Yesterday, a mother and two children no more than 3 or 4 years old sat on the concrete in front of the grocery store. Before I finished shopping, I bought several bags of fruit for the family.
It was heart wrenching to see these little guys sitting on cold concrete for hours waiting for relief. As November approaches, the city should use available vacant buildings in the city for shelter.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 12:07 pm
First how much is that going to cost the city?
Looking at the space they will have to spend to remodel, as well as the monthly rent, on top of the costly contracts to staff and maintain the property.
They don’t have enough bathrooms or showers for 200 people. It’s fully open so I’m guessing there will be no kitchen services? Also, ventilation in warehouses is usually not up to speed as to what is required for residential, which will have to be handled as well. This is just my amateur take, I’m guessing a developer would really know what needs to happen.
Not wanting it in your neighborhood? I get it. The city has made this a debacle. Why would anyone trust the city is going to do this correctly?
If the city knew how to run these shelters, had process servers filling out paperwork and moving migrants to permanency, a pipeline of federal funds coming into the city to handle the monetary expenses, and security at each site that would maintain the dignity of the migrants and the concerns of current residents, then maybe it would be easier for resident to get on board with.
Also, I know he’s avoiding the press, but maybe the mayor could show up to just one community meeting to talk with residents. Have people show ID so they know it’s only residents of the ward there.
Comment by Frida's boss Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 12:09 pm
== SIU @ 10:41 am ==
Insert image of Brandon Johnson on milk carton.
“Have you seen me?”
Comment by Jocko Friday, Oct 27, 23 @ 12:20 pm