Living in LoCo
Planning Dept. Approves Ashburn Hospital
Erica Garman at 3:07 p.m., September 8, 2008 (10 comments)
The Loudoun County Planning Department gave the green light Friday to HCA Virginia’s plans to build a full-service, 164-bed hospital in Ashburn known as the Broadlands Regional Medical Center.
If the Planning Commission and, subsequently, the Board of Supervisors approves BRMC, HCA officials hope to break ground on the hospital in 2009 and open the facility in 2011.
The Board of Supervisors denied HCA’s original hospital application in 2005 - the only special exception denied out of the 87 submitted that year. In response to the denial, HCA filed a lawsuit against the board that it dropped in March as a goodwill gesture to the current board.
HCA Virginia reapplied in April for the zoning request and included in the application plans for extensive landscape buffers, increased energy-/water-efficiency features and proffers to widen Belmont Ridge Road from Broadlands Boulevard to Rt. 659 redirected.
BRMC officials today said that if approved and built, the hospital will employ 600 full-time workers and will generate an approximate $4 million in county taxes each year over a 20-year period.
But not everyone is rooting for the new Ashburn hospital.
BRMC has met resistance from a community group, Concerned Citizens of Broadlands, that argues that the project will bring traffic and noise to the community. The California Nurses Association joined forces with the group several months ago, criticizing HCA’s employment practices.
Perhaps the largest opponent of BRMC is the less-than-5-miles-away Inova Loudoun Hospital, whose officials understandably are not enthusiastic about the prospect of having a competing hospital so close.
Back in April, the CEO of Inova Loudoun Hospital Randall L. Kelley told me in an interview that if ILH doesn’t hit its bottom line - which he said would be the case if BRMC were built - the hospital wouldn’t be able to fund community services that it currently supports, such as the Loudoun Community Health Center.
Support of the hospital appears to be picking up, however.
Many fence-sitters welcomed BRMC after it was announced in June that Children’s National Medical Center was joining forces with the proposed hospital. Soon after, a community group supporting the hospital, Broadlands Residents for BRMC, organized, welcoming a hospital over what the space is currently zoned for - office buildings.
The Planning Commission will hold an off-site public hearing to review BRMC’s application at 6 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn.
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Can anyone say momentum? Good work HCA! Keep the honorable high ground and the truth will prevail.
Posted by maravetz (anonymous) on September 8, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
YEAH!!! Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance!!! Maybe I won't have to go to DC or Charlottesville for decent healthcare anymore...
Posted by qazwsxedcrfv (anonymous) on September 9, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Keep dancing. The Planning Commission recommended approval last time and it was killed.
Don't believe the HCA Lobbyists posting above. The location is a bad one and the company is even worse.
There's a reason it keeps getting opposed and it's not due to Loudoun Healthcare interests.
There are fundamental problems with the application that still exist, despite HCA's attempt to throw more money at the County in an attempt to win approval.
The bottom line is this: Loudoun is the country's most affluent county and HCA wants in on that gravy train. Period. Healthcare and the quality therof is not the driving force. The almighty dollar is.
Posted by SavedByZero (anonymous) on September 9, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, the Planning Commission recommended denial last time.
HCA, like any other business including Inova, is out to make a buck! This one happens to provide healthcare, something this county needs more of.
If Reston Hospital is an example of the type of company they are, then I have no worries.
Posted by shevco (anonymous) on September 9, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SavedByZero, can you provide specifics? Starting with your statement that I am a lobbyist, then moving on to what fundamental problems still exist.
Posted by maravetz (anonymous) on September 9, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the fundamental problems are probably related to NIMBY! I am an IMBY...
Posted by qazwsxedcrfv (anonymous) on September 10, 2008 at 12:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have used both Loudoun and Reston hospitals within the past few years for serious surgeries. Both are fine institutions. I object to BRMC principally because it is not needed this close to INOVA Loudoun. It makes more sense for service need to be near South Riding. For full disclosure, I live two blocks away from the proposed site, but I plan to move away before it opens!
Posted by agnevins (anonymous) on September 10, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I live two blocks away and ... anyone want to buy a really nice house??????????
Posted by rdb2 (anonymous) on February 3, 2009 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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