Care Home to Close Voluntarily

The operators of a Glendale home for mentally ill adults that was shut down by the state last month have dropped plans to appeal the closure and voluntarily surrendered their license.

In a negotiated settlement with the state Department of Social Services, Edmar Enterprises last week agreed never again to seek a license to operate at the Glendale facility, 205 E. Los Feliz Road, said Kathleen Norris, a spokeswoman for the state agency.

The facility, called Los Feliz Plaza, was closed May 16 by the Social Services Department, which charged that the operators had violated fire regulations and failed to adequately supervise a resident who committed suicide in April.

About 140 mentally ill adults who had been living there were transferred elsewhere. Adult residential care centers provide supervision to people who cannot handle their basic daily needs, but residents are not locked in.

Initially vowing to reopen, Edmar’s principal owners, Edward and Martha Keh of Glendale, filed an appeal in May. A hearing was scheduled for June 18, but last week, Edmar and the state reached a settlement and the appeal was dropped.

Norris said the agreement bars Edmar from ever applying to reopen Los Feliz Plaza and provides a one-year waiting period before the company can apply to open a new facility at any other location.

“It’s a fair settlement for everybody,” said Robert J. Gerst, an attorney representing the operators. “The purpose of going to a hearing is to avoid getting your license revoked, and we’ve achieved that.”

The attorney said his clients had no plans to seek a license elsewhere during the coming year. After one year, however, they will not be barred from seeking a license for a care center at another site.

Gerst said Edmar has been leasing the Los Feliz Plaza building. He said his clients will try to sublease the complex or make other arrangements with the property owner for its future use.

Mark D. Ginsberg, an attorney for the Social Services Department, said last week’s settlement stipulated that state officials can consider the licensee’s history if Edmar applies to operate a care facility in the future.