Laserfiche WebLink
202 <br /> <br /> rMr. Huja stated that the amendment would allow Martha <br />Jefferson Hospital to add another floor and one story ~ <br />building for a total of 16,000 additional square feet and <br />added that the overall site plan has not changed <br />significantly. Mr. Huja stated that the Planning Commission <br />recommended approval of the special permit amendment for the <br />following reasons: 1) It is in harmony with the Land Use <br />Plan of the Comprehensive Plan~ 2) It is compatible with the <br />recommendations of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Impact <br />Study; and 3) It will not have any additional significant <br />adverse impact on the surrounding area if conditions are met. <br />Mr. Huja stated that staff have worked with two neighborhood <br />associations with regard to the special permit and have <br />recommended the following conditions: traffic be prohibited <br />from turning left out of the Hospital onto Sycamore to <br />decrease traffic on Lexington Avenue; 2) the additional one <br />story building be restricted to one story; and 3) that the <br />stepback be maintained. Mr. Huja added that additional <br />meetings have been scheduled to discuss the future plans of <br />the Hospital. <br /> <br /> Ms. Slaughter recommended that the North Downtown <br />Residents Association and Little High Street Neighborhood <br />Association be involved in future meetings~. Ms. Slaughter <br />asked how it would be determined if the turning restrictions <br />were working. <br /> <br /> Mr. Huja replied that the City's Traffic Engineer will <br />review the turning restrictions. Mr. Huja stated that the <br />1988 resolution recommended that traffic use Locust Avenue <br />but added that some disagreement about this issue exists <br />among the neighborhood associations. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters recommended that a base line traffic count on <br />Locust Avenue and Sycamore be taken. <br /> <br /> Ms. Slaughter stressed the importance of having a long <br />range view of the Martha Jefferson Hospital expansion issue <br />in order to protect the neighborhood from traffic and noise. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano questioned what the Hospital planned for the <br />properties on Locust Avenue and referred to a drawing of a <br />proposed building on that site in a Hospital development <br />program dated 1988. <br /> <br /> Mr.. John Holly, President of Martha Jefferson Hospital, <br />explained that the drawing had been developed prior to <br />discussions with the City and neighborhoods. Mr. Holly <br />stated that the Hospital is aware of the importance of a <br />balance between the Hospital and neighborhood and no specific <br />plans exist for the properties on Locust Avenue which are <br />used currently as offices. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters questioned whether a special permit would be <br />required for a change of use for the properties on Locust and <br />Mr. Huja stated that a site plan and architectural review <br />would be~required for changes to the buildings, no special <br />permit is required for office use, and a special permit would <br />be required for hospital use of the buildings. <br /> <br /> ~ ' Mr. Gouldman noted that the offsite condition of <br />architectural review for the Locust Avenue properties was <br />agreed to by the Hospital in the 1988 resolution. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters stated that she felt the houses on Locust <br />Avenue have provided an important buffer between the Hospital <br />and the neighborhood. <br /> <br /> Mr. Holly stated that he felt that working with the <br />neighborhood association was a better route than including <br />the Locust Avenue properties within the special permit area <br /> <br /> <br />