General Category > Hackensack Discussion
HUMC Expansion
ericmartindale:
Hi! Pitiable klooper in F7*&%^! classify of my english jer, buti danged hazardous re touched by .
itsme:
The more they get the more they want. I guess if the application is questioned, HUMC will have their employees who reside in Hackensack again bused to the hearings and pay them for the time away from work. At the last hearings for the parking garage on the corners of Atlantic & Railroad, residents were lead to believe that the parking garage would alleviate the problem of hospital employees parking on the streets of Hackensack. The city got the Housing Authority attorney, Joe Zisa, to state that the housing authority saw no problem with the construction of that garage only 15 inches from the windows of the residents. I know the tenants had a problem. The parking lot is hardly ever full and the employees continue to park on the streets. Yeah, that one really worked!!!
Editor:
Latest story: Expansion plan worries med center's neighbors
ericmartindale:
I sat in on part of tonite's application. The Board has completely reversed it's hostility to the application, and appears to be accepting HUMC's testimony as to why they don't have to widen Atlantic Street to the width the Board had previously demanded. Previously the Board and HUMC were at an impasse over that issue.
Now it looks like the application will be approved, and probably at the October meeting. It appears to be coming to a conclusion after so many hearings.
HUMC is expanding in size by about 33% with this application, and they are building outside their original square block to the same density.
We didn't know it at the time, but when the board allowed the Don Imus Center to have much less than the allowed setback from Atlantic Street, that set the precedent for both sides of Atlantic Street from Prospect Ave to the railroad. After the Don Imus Center was built, HUMC demanded the same setback for every subsequent application, saying that "it will be the same as Don Imus". That's what is called "subverting the intent and purpose of the zone plan and zoning ordinance". That's exactly what happened with the Don Imus Center.
It looks like I'll have to find someplace else to live. No, I won't be leaving Hackensack. But I don't think I can bear to live across the street from such a massive construction site. It will totally destroy the quality of life here, and the loss of the houses buffering my building from HUMC will have a dramatic negative effect. Chances are it will be under construction for 2 years straight. Most of my neighbors here in my building don't even have a remote clue as to what is going to happen. This complex is 5 to 10 times bigger than they imagine it will be.
Anthony:
I have many mixed emotions about the future of HUMC.
First, I’d like to say HUMC is a wonderful hospital. It’s clean, state of the art, and ultra convenient for everyone in Hackensack. God forbid one of us needs medical attention, it is very reassuring to be less than five minutes away from the facility from any part of Hackensack. The medical staff is among the best in the area and my parents, wife and children have all received excellent care whenever they’ve had to go there. That being said, should HUMC have carte blanche to expand as much as they want? Should the city allow them to take over that part of town or put an end to the expansion now?
I don’t know if the city has a master plan for that area, but maybe one should be developed specifically for the entire area with Essex Street, Summit Avenue, Beech/Atlantic Street, and State Street as its borders. It could be designated the “HUMC Zone” and a plan could be developed, by the city, to take control of the entire zone by rezoning it. This way the city controls the deck, not HUMC. When they want to expand more, they’d have to actually play by the city’s rules, since they would control the area. It seems like the city got bamboozled by HUMC on the Imus building and they should try not to get out played again.
I hate the fact HUMC is bullying the city and their own neighbors in the area. I can’t stand their arrogance. They are expanding whether we like it or not and we’re at their mercy. Does it have to be this way?
In spite of what HUMC wants us to believe, it’s all about money. The hospital is making more and more of it. Why can’t they share some of the wealth? It’s ironic the non-profit hospital, most of it being tax-exempt, has a management staff, doctors, lawyers, consultants, etc. making big money. Since their taxes are low, maybe they can help the city out with things like school expansion, fire fighting equipment, maybe even a discounted health care plan for the city’s employees. If the hospital has a medical plan for its employees, why can’t they include Hackensack’s city employees in the same plan? Imagine the savings to the city at little cost to the hospital. Why can’t HUMC purchase state of the art fire fighting equipment for our fire fighters as a gift in case of a disaster in the hospital? A lot of our tax dollars go to keeping our fire fighters ready for a disaster in this non profit/tax-exempt facility. It doesn’t seem right.
The city’s residents are giving up a lot for HUMC’s expansion. Prospect Avenue and Essex Street near the hospital ALWAYS has traffic which is only going to get worse. It’s nice to have the extra business in town from patients and staff at the hospital but how much extra business are we really seeing? Not many people working/visiting the hospital are making their way to shop or eat on Main Street. It’s great that the area around the hospital has been redeveloped with doctor’s offices and medical buildings (which are not tax-exempt) but it’s sad to see the houses and neighborhoods go.
As I said, I have mixed emotions about the hospital’s expansion and future. Who really runs Hackensack, the council/city manager or John Ferguson?
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