RSS Feed (xml) By ALAN WECHSLER, Business writer
First published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
HALFMOON -- Plans for a hospital and medical research campus in this town got lots of support -- and a few questions as well -- during a Planning Board meeting Monday night.
The complex would be built on 81 acres on Route 146, less than two miles east of Route 9, and include a hospital and eight other buildings. The hospital would measure about 225,000 square feet and have 120 beds. Backers say it would cost about $120 million.
Two other buildings would be 80,000 square feet each, and the rest would be smaller. The buildings would range from two to five stories.
The town is being asked to change the zoning for the site, currently agricultural-residential, to planned development district.
The Planning Board is expected to meet again in two weeks to decide whether to recommend the zoning change to the Town Board, which then must hold a public hearing before deciding.
Many who spoke at the meeting were in favor of the project. One was Irene Maxwell, 68, who lives in East Greenbush with her husband, Robert.
In 2003, as a resident of Halfmoon, she suffered severe bleeding from the blood thinner she was taking. An ambulance was called.
From the time of the phone call, it took her 40 minutes to get to a hospital in Troy.
"When you're in that ambulance," she said Monday, "it seems like forever."
Promoters say the hospital is needed because southern Saratoga County has grown in population in recent years, and nearby hospitals are too far away for emergency cases.
Backers need a certificate of need from the state Department of Health to operate the hospital, which would include an emergency room and maternity care. They also need developers to build the facilities -- Boni is seeking only to get the necessary approvals to make the site shovel-ready -- and an existing hospital to run it.
"I've had cordial conversations with everyone I've talked to, but no one will commit," said Kevin Dailey, a Clifton Park attorney who represents Boni. "Until you have a zoning change, it's all speculative."
Several Town Board members present at the meeting said they were in favor of the hospital.
"A parent might breathe easier knowing a facility is closer," board member Regina Parker said after the meeting. "But it has to be great health care."
Supervisor Mindy Wormuth agreed. "I don't see a downside for the town," she said.
But there were some concerns.
John Cuttita, chairman of the Clifton Park Fire Department, said the town's ladder truck could not reach the upper floors of a five-story hospital. Others said they would support the project only if the hospital were built first, before the other buildings.
"We'll work with them," Dailey said after the meeting.
Alan Wechsler can be reached at 454-5469 or by e-mail at awechsler@timesunion.com.More about Halfmoon Healthcare
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