“Usually we find a way to mitigate the construction activity, but this is the first time I have come across someone who had come up with a concern like this,” Planning Director Hassan Haghani said.
His staff is working with the city attorney’s office to determine potential solutions for the dispute that will respect the rights of the owners of the neighboring homes, he said.
Construction could stir up dirt and release fungal spores into the air that could put Patrick at risk of infection, even if he stays within his home, said his parents, Edwin Aghaian and Juanita Shahijanian, who have forwarded city officials letters from Patrick’s doctor that caution against nearby construction.
The family has had to rush to emergency appointments at UCLA on the dates of two previous hearings related to the proposed project at 1841 Tamerlane Drive — behind Patrick’s home on Hillside Drive — leaving concerns about his health largely unnoticed until now.
But the family recently signed onto an appeal, along with 49 other residences, against the home construction, which they don’t want to prohibit indefinitely, but simply delay until their son grows stronger, they said.
“If his immune system was up and he was able to go outside and play like a normal human being, we would not be going through this right now,” said Shahijanian, later adding, “What we’re saying is delay until he recovers, and then we’ll see what’s going on.”
Jasmik Mardirossian, owner of the Tamerlane residence, was sympathetic about Patrick’s ailments but unconvinced that her new home construction should be shelved.
