On behalf of the partners of the Youth Drop In Center (YDIC) project, including A Place 4 Me, the REACH Youth Action Board, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM), we are pleased to inform you that on February 6th, the City of Cleveland Board of Zoning Appeals approved our request for a special variance to site the YDIC at 4100 Franklin Boulevard!
We are grateful for the time and consideration of the Board of Zoning Appeals. We are most appreciative that we can proceed with plans for the project, the first of its kind in Cuyahoga County, which will provide safety and respite for young people seeking housing stability.
The partners would like to take a moment to thank you, and the many community partners and supporters who wrote letters, shared personal stories, and patiently advocated for this effort to address housing instability for young people. More than 180 residents of Ohio City signed a community petition or wrote letters, in support of the YDIC. This included Cleveland City Councilman, Kerry McCormack, to whom we extend a special thanks.
This process has been a challenging experience over the past year, but we are grateful to be able to move forward once we update the renovation timeline and look forward to opening the center as soon as the building is ready. Our next steps are to regroup with the project architect (Bialosky Cleveland) and construction manager (Regency Construction Services) to update this timeline and thereafter initiate the work. We will continue to provide you with updates.
In the spirit of transparency, we also want to share that it is possible that residents who oppose the project may decide to appeal the BZA decision to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. These individuals have up to 30 days after the date the variance is entered into the record to file their appeal. It is our hope that this will not be the case and we can move the project forward without further delay.
For now, we celebrate this moment with you and our partners, and on behalf of all of the young adults in our community experiencing homelessness, who will eventually have a peaceful, safe and secure environment to meet their unique needs.
Thank you for being a champion of change with us!
Maria A. Foschia
President & CEO
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
