Pastor Agrees to Fix Code Violations at Shelter

The outspoken pastor of First Southern Baptist Church has agreed to correct code violations on the site where he plans to build a homeless shelter at his Buena Park church.

The Rev. Wiley Drake first attracted attention in 1996 when neighbors began complaining that he was letting homeless people stay at the church. City inspectors cited him for building and health code violations, and in 1997 he was convicted of four misdemeanors and ordered to complete 1,500 hours of community service.

In December 1998, the homeless were moved to a 36,000-square-foot temporary shelter and Drake laid plans to build a permanent shelter at the church.

Those plans, however, have been delayed by lack of funding and a safety hazard has developed at the construction site, according to members of the Planning Commission. City permits expired earlier this year and will not be reissued until Drake can show proof that he has the financial resources to continue the project.

City staff visited the church property several weeks ago to look for code violations. The result is a variety of conditions Drake must meet, including requirements that he remove an illegal shed, store items inside buildings and remove vehicles in a variety of stages of disrepair on the site. Exposed rebar on a block wall must also be removed within two weeks, along with illegal lighting. The wall must also be capped.

“Instead of this being a construction in progress for the next three or four years, we want to clean it up,” Planning Commissioner Rick Felling said. “The next meeting will be after the 30 days and we’re going to see if they clean up the stuff that they were supposed to clean up. Pastor Drake indicated to the commission that he should be able to get most, if not all, of the items resolved.”

Drake and some of his parishioners appeared at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting and agreed to meet the conditions imposed on them. They also spoke of their mission to feed, shelter and give medical attention to the homeless of the city.

Ana Cholo-Tipton can be reached at (714) 966-5890