By Rita Price
The Columbus Dispatch
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Franklin Township fire chief won't agree to a plan to use a fire watch to patrol a proposed winter shelter that's been trying for weeks to open up to homeless men and women.
The Community Shelter Board had asked Chief Richard Howard to allow a fire watch until the building's sprinkler system is operating.
Howard said yesterday that he won't budge because even a fire watch — a certified fire-safety worker who continuously walks the premises — shouldn't be approved for a building that doesn't otherwise meet safety requirements.
"My answer is, they do not meet fire code, therefore they will not receive a certificate of occupancy," he said of the shelter board's request. "There will be no fire watch. So, the ball's back in their court."
In addition to the sprinklers, Howard said, the building's emergency-exit lighting isn't finished and plans for an alarm system were just submitted.
Shelter-board spokeswoman Sara Loken said officials are working on alternatives for getting homeless adults out of the cold. Existing shelters are operating far beyond regular capacity as they await a winter-overflow site that was supposed to open on Nov. 15.
"We are working on a plan B with our providers that we can implement during this interim period while we wait on sprinkler installation," Loken said. "Plan B will be focused on keeping people safe when it's very, very cold outside."
Some shelter-provider agencies contacted yesterday said they don't know of a plan yet. Loken said shelter-board executive director Michelle Heritage doesn't want to share details until the plan is set.
The proposed winter shelter at 511 Industrial Mile Rd., controversial since plans were announced, would occupy a building next to a children's day-care center.
Creative Child Care Inc. filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court last week to block the shelter but lost an initial request for a temporary restraining order.
The child-care center says the shelter board should not be able to operate a homeless shelter, which would endanger children and hurt its business, without going through a rezoning process. Franklin County commissioners rezoned the property to a suburban-office category last year to permit a church and day care, conditional on meeting about a dozen requirements.
All requirements were not met, and the church-day-care plans were abandoned. The shelter board is now leasing the building and says last year's zoning action can apply to the winter shelter, to be operated by the YMCA of Central Ohio.
Howard also has been critical of the process. He says the shelter board surprised township officials with the building plan and has been pushing to speed up approval for occupancy.
Copyright 2012 The Columbus Dispatch
All Rights Reserved
