Sunday, September 21, 2008
I am writing in response to the Sept. 8 posting on the Living in LoCo blog at loudounextra.com, "Planning Dept. Approves Ashburn Hospital."
I am opposed to the Broadlands Regional Medical Center and the concept of a hospital invading our community. When we were weighing the decision to move here, we understood that professional office buildings would be put in at some point, but we thought that would mean controlled traffic at normal business hours and no sirens blaring in the night.
When my family chose Broadlands as our home, we chose a quality of life with quiet, natural settings, away from the hustle and bustle.
When we lived in Cascades, eight miles outside Broadlands, we participated in several surveys and expressed no need for a new hospital. Inova Loudoun Hospital and HCA's Reston Hospital Center were very accessible.
Now we are five miles from Inova Loudoun and feel deceived that the Broadlands hospital is being considered again. Now it is our back yard that is affected — a property that we bought because we knew the original application to build had been denied by the Board of Supervisors.
Like many of my neighbors, I am bewildered by the county planning department's recommendation to approve the HCA hospital plans. I don't have confidence in the statements HCA made about not putting a helicopter pad at the hospital site. Who is to say it won't be in Phase 2? Clearly, they are saying what they need to say to get the supervisors' approval.
With its recent action, the planning department isn't listening to anyone other than the developers who want to build the hospital. Sadly, even our homeowners association is claiming to support the project, although it was never given permission from residents to speak on our behalf.
As I ponder these important decisions that will affect so many residents, I hope that officials can focus on the needs of the people in the communities, a.k.a. the voters, rather than on the money.
Jennifer Stanford, Ashburn
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