Med center may need downsizing
By Prentiss Findlay
MOUNT PLEASANT — The square footage of the planned 27-acre office park that will complement the new East Cooper Regional Medical Center is too big for the approved zoning, a town official said Wednesday.
Three years ago, Town Council approved zoning that allows up to 220,000 square feet of medical and other professional office space in the affected area. As currently designed, the development would have 293,500 square feet of offices, according to planning documents.
If you go
WHAT: Planning Commission to consider the sketch plan for the new East Cooper Regional Medical Center.
WHEN: 5 p.m. today.
WHERE: Town Council Chambers, Mount Pleasant Municipal Complex, 100 Ann Edwards Lane.
The project is scheduled for Planning Commission consideration today.
The developer can downsize the project to comply with the approved zoning, or return to the Planning Commission in December for a public hearing on a zoning amendment, said Mary Jane Blatchford, a senior town planner. The Planning Commission recommendation regarding the project goes to council for final approval.
The Planning Commission will consider the "impact assessment" and sketch plan for the project, formally known as the Mount Pleasant Health & Science Campus at East Cooper Regional Medical Center. The assessment discusses issues such as traffic, tree preservation and zoning compliance.
The developer is listed on planning documents as Lowcountry M.O.B. Partners LLC and its representative Richard Coen. He did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Wednesday.
The project consultant is Seamon Whiteside & Associates. The company contact for the project did not return a message left at the office.
As currently designed, the office park would include two four-story medical office buildings of 70,000 square feet each; a two-story, 20,000 square-foot medical office building; and a 93,500-square foot building for additional professional offices. Town planning staff estimates that the new office complex will result in 7,225 daily vehicle trips.
Town Council approved a Planned Development-Economic Development zoning district in December 2005 for a 55-acre tract including the new hospital and the office park. The district established the 220,000-square-foot limit on medical offices and related retail uses.
The new $153 million, 140-bed hospital near Von Kolnitz and Mathis Ferry roads will replace the 104-bed East Cooper Regional campus near Bowman Road and U.S. Highway 17. Completion is scheduled for spring 2010.
East Cooper Regional's replacement facility is one of two major medical centers that will be competing for patients in the town. Roper St. Francis Healthcare hopes to open its $143 million, 85-bed hospital off U.S. 17 near Wando High School in late 2010. The company also plans a 90,000-square-foot medical office building next door to help attract on-site health care providers.
Reach Prentiss Findlay at 937-5711 or pfindlay@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
commonsence (anonymous) says...
I guess the MOB will make an offer the PC that they can't refuse...
November 20, 2008 at 7:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MP (anonymous) says...
Two ways to go here. MP town council can rubber-stamp the change or hold ECRMC to the original approval. Bets on which way this goes?
Big business, political contributions will again win out over what is best for the community. 73,500 more feet of office space means a lot more traffic on Hwy 17 and Mathis Ferry.
This is the way politicians work when something will be too big for the community to swallow. They go ahead and approve what the community will accept, then allow change after change that they knew was coming, hoping the community wont notice what has been done to them.
November 20, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
This is a difficult location within Mt. Pleasant to serve efficiently with Transit. Whatever is done, there needs to be an effort to connect it to surrounding roads in a way which makes bus service practical. It's nearly impossible to walk from Highway 17 to this location. It's well over a mile and most of it has no sidewalks.
A pedestrian bridge across 17, the highway fences and other obstacles and sidewalks would allow someone to get to work at the hospital on the bus.
This isn't the sort of thinking Mt. Pleasant really values under its current leadership, but major centers of employment need good transit connections. I doubt the doctors will be giving up their BMWs, but plenty of staff could come by bus. Huge numbers of employees at MUSC already do.
In five years, having decent transit connections may be the key to recruiting and retaining staff. Adequate staff levels are a key component of treatment quality.
If this entire complex is to be utterly dependent of the private automobile to function, its' going to be a huge problem when high gas prices return.
November 20, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlittle212 (anonymous) says...
This addition could easily be accomplished if the Town will agree to 4 lane Mathis Ferry and chainsaw all the live oaks in the area. You can't stop progress - you just can't.
November 20, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
Chainsawing every live Oak on Mathis Ferry Road to accommodate absurd levels of automobile traffic while destroying the scenic beauty of the road isn't progress. Progress is making the lives of people better, not just making traffic faster. It's really important to grasp the difference or you end up looking like suburban Atlanta.
November 20, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MP (anonymous) says...
wjhamilton3 - mlittle212 was being sarcastic.
November 20, 2008 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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