God Advances. Art Falters

An application to turn a long vacant industrial building on East Street into a church and refuge for those struggling with addiction won approval for zoning commissioners this week.

At the same time a plan to convert an old garage on Lombard Street in Fair Haven into a community arts and crafts center stumbled.

This tale of two abandoned buildings unfolded Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals at 200 Orange St.

Attorney Bernard Pellegrino and Pastor Mike Caroleo appeared seeking a range of use variances to allow for 438 East St., a long-vacant industrial building on East Street between Lombard and Grand, to be converted into a church and sober house.

Caroleo is the leader of Christian-centered recovery project, the 180 Center, which is currently on Grand Avenue.

It has outgrown its current space and is proposing to rehabilitate the East Street building. It is currently heavily graffitied and the target of lots of illegal dumping.

Pellegrino called it an eyesore in serious disrepair, with a big pile up not only of dumped detritus but also back taxes. It is also in need of environmental remediation. He said approving the variances for this use would bring the building back to useful life. ​“We hope you’ll look favorably on it,” he concluded.

Because the project also requires a coastal site plan review, the matter, without a vote, was referred to the City Plan Department. With the positive staff report that accompanied the proposal, the expectation is that the proposal returns for a vote to the BZA next month.

A not-so-optimistic outcome was the case with the 545 LLC. Its principal, artist Madelaine Fargeorge, came before the zoners with a request for a use variance to turn an old garage at 545 Lombard St. near James into a community arts and arts and craft workshop.

She was specifically requesting a use variance — the building is an anomaly in an otherwise residential neighborhood — as well as permission to mount the electric meter — currently there is no power or plumbing in the building — on the front of the structure due to insufficient distance between buildings on the sides.

Three people spoke in favor of the project, one against. Two urged the zoners to table the matter until neighbors’ concerns could further be addressed.

Frank Redente, who lives across the street, questioned Fargeorge’s characterization of the building. ​“It has a checkered history, with people living in it illegally,” he testified.

He said the fire department and other city agencies have been called at least four times over recent years, in some instances because the use of torches for welding alarmed neighbors that fire was a threat.

Fair Haven Alder Ernie Santiago asserted neighbors near the building expressed those concerns and urged Fargeore and the BZA to table the matter until those issues might be more fully addressed.

The suggestion to table also came from Joseph Lemley, a board member from the Corporation for Urban Home Ownership (CUHO), the nonprofit that owns, he said, about 80 units in the area.

The zoners also warned Fargeorge, who is part of a long time land preservationist-minded Fair Haven family, that her proposal would require all four of the commissioners present to vote in favor.

“I need the variance to release funds [from potential artists leasing space,]” Fargeorge said. She also needed approval for the meter in order to get electricity and heat into the building to continue renovations during the cold weather.

Fargeorge said she only wants to give back to the community, not to make money, and certainly not to endanger the community. The specific restrictions on the kinds of materials artists could use — for example, no acetylene torches — are part of her proposal.

She did not prevail. By a three to one vote the project was denied.

“It’s a great plan,” Lemley said to Fargeorge after the ruling. It just needed more due diligence. ​“Unfortunately she’s paying for the sins of the past,” he added.

Had the issue been tabled, Fargeorge could have come back for another review as early as next month. Now that it has been denied, however, she has to submit a new application, which might also require a waiting period.

Fargeorge said she is not going to terminate her efforts. ​“I can’t stop. It’s a dream and so many people are depending on me.”