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Changes allow for early Stafford hospital opening Date published: 1/7/2009
BY JONAS BEALS
Stafford County supervisors last night approved changes to MediCorp's conditional use permit and zoning ordinance that will allow the Stafford Hospital Center to open ahead of schedule in February.
The original permits required Hospital Center Boulevard to be completed from U.S. 1 to Courthouse Road before occupancy permits could be granted to the hospital. When the hospital opens in February, the only working entrance will intersect with U.S. 1. MediCorp made a verbal commitment to have the four-lane road completed and open to Courthouse Road this April.
Under normal circumstances, an applicant would be required to pay a fee to change permits. In this case, the fee amounted to approximately $21,000. However, the county acted as applicant in this instance, negating the fee requirement.
Members of the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors expressed a desire to have MediCorp reimburse the county for the fee, which they agreed to do at the Planning Commission level.
"This is not a hardship case," Supervisor George Schwartz said.
Due to the structure of the agreement, board members could not require MediCorp to pay the fee, but their final resolution included language that asked MediCorp to consider donating the fee rather than giving it to the county. Supervisor Cord Sterling suggested MediCorp use the fee amount to create a scholarship for county high school students who wish to pursue a nursing degree.
"It is important to do things that will lead our citizens to pursue good jobs," Sterling said. "It's more of a benefit to the citizens of Stafford."
The measure passed 4-3, with George Schwartz, Bob Woodson and Harry Crisp dissenting. Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Does it make if MediCorp/MWH opens a new site, As I understand it,the Same Staff will go back and forth, So unless the Service is Better,In my Opinion there is No real Benefit of the new site, Maybe when The New Hospital Opens in Massaponax we will see a Change in Care in the area. ie, less time waiting in the ER. I still go Up North for Medical care.I can't find a Doctor in Fred'burg who can treat Cystic Fibrosis.
Agree with the below poster, dicerotops. Thank you, Mr. Sterling for allowing common sense to prevail. I much prefer to see $21K go to deserving H.S. students than the abyss that is government.
Why is it when ever the board of supervisors wants to vote something good and beneficial in, the democrats want to stop it? I remember the dems got in because people were upset with the way the board had been before, but the last election just made things so much worse. I am usually a democrat, but I am very much voting republican when it comes to the local Stafford County level. Thank goodness one of the democrats actually had some thought to his head this last go around so it could pass.
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