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Neighbors express concern about $18.6M Akron Children's expansion
BOARDMAN
Akron Children’s Hospital said it is confident a compromise can be reached with residents who are concerned about potential noise and parking problems that may be caused by the $18.6 million project planned for its Mahoning Valley Beeghly Campus.
The concerns, raised Tuesday at a Boardman Township Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, caused an Akron Children’s representative at the meeting to delay the zoning request and also postpone the groundbreaking ceremony for the project that was scheduled for noon Wednesday.
Akron Children’s wants to build a two-story, 51,000-square-foot expansion to Building A on its Beeghly Campus to accommodate subspecialty practices currently housed in its medical office building at 8423 Market St. The addition would make patient care more seamless and convenient for patients’ families and accommodate growth in those practices, officials said.
Part of the plan includes expansion of the facility’s parking, which requires the hospital to get a conditional-use permit from the township. It is the parking lot proposal that residents of Romaine Avenue are concerned about. Residents submitted in writing a statement of their concerns and recommendations, and a petition with 24 signatures.
“We, as residents of Boardman, do not deserve to have additional noises from the hospital and an ugly view of a fence,” the statement reads. “We are good, law-abiding citizens of Boardman and Mahoning County and we vote NO to your parking lot proposal.”
Listed concerns include noise that might come from the parking lot, water drainage, privacy, trash and littering, the impact on property values, the possibility of more traffic on their street and that the plans would place parking spots under high-tension wires.
That issue also was cause for concern for John Shultz, chairman of the zoning-appeals board.
“I feel very uncomfortable about parking under high-tension wires. There is a reason travel is prohibited under them,” he said.
The hospital’s scheduling of the ground-breaking event was a bit premature, Shultz said.
“I had no idea they had scheduled a ground-breaking. I think it was rather presumptuous that they would schedule it without having satisfied all of the requirements,” he said.
“The hospital has been in discussions with the zoning commission and the residents for months to allay any concerns about our expansion and thought we had addressed all of their concerns before last evening’s meeting. Clearly, more discussion is needed,” said Sharon Hrina, vice president of Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley.
Hrina said, however, that hospital officials will review plans and are confident a compromise can be reached so the planned investment can move forward with the full support of the community. “Our leadership team met Wednesday to start that discussion,” she said.
“We have had ongoing conversations with the zoning commission and area residents and thought we had fully addressed their concerns. Our design team is careful to balance the needs of our patient families along with the needs of our neighbors,” Hrina said.
“We received the feedback from last night’s meeting and will use that to revise our plan. We want to be good neighbors but need to comply with zoning restrictions as well as the safety of our patients,” she said.
“While we are disappointed in this delay, we are committed to make this investment in the children of the Mahoning Valley. We look forward to a creative solution that will allow this to happen as soon as possible,” Hrina said.