Melissa presented a statement on Jewish Home Lifecare (JHL) at last night’s Community Board 7 meeting, where a number of local residents spoke during the public session in opposition to JHL’s move from W. 106th Street to W. 100th Street.  She also shared a letter she wrote to the State Hospital Review and Planning Council (SHRPC) calling for a public hearing on JHL’s amended application to build its new facility on 100th Street, given that there have been substantial changes from the previous plans for W. 106th Street.

Below, please find the statement followed by the letter to SHRPC:

I remain deeply concerned with Jewish Home Lifecare’s (JHL) move to West 100th Street.  Members of the community have characterized well the de-stabilizing effects that this move could have on Park West Village and West 106th Street, as well as the lack of open and transparent engagement with the broader Westside community on this matter.

As previously reported, I have requested that JHL hold an open forum not only for local residents to share their concerns about the move, but to hear the latest from the institution about their plans. The absence of such public meetings has left a vacuum where community members have only been able to learn information about JHL’s plans through their own investigations and have had only listervs and community meetings as venues for voicing their concerns, venues at which JHL is not necessarily present or compelled to respond.  Fortunately, JHL has agreed to the request, and we expect that the meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, local residents have been working to urge the State Department of Health to exercise greater scrutiny over JHL’s new proposed facility and to engage in public hearings with local residents to hear feedback.  I strongly have written a letter to the State Hospital Review and Planning Council in support of this request (see below).

It is my hope that in beginning with an open and productive community meeting, further discussions held and decisions made by JHL regarding the fate of either the West 100^th Street or the West 106^th Street sites will remain open and transparent.  Beyond this initial meeting, please count on my office to take part in follow-up conversations with the institution to ensure that we begin to address the many issues that have been raised since JHL announced the land swap deal with Chetrit over a year ago.

I thank the Westside community for your continued commitment to the neighborhood as well as to ensuring that our older adults are receiving the highest standard of care.

Here is the letter to SHRPC: