Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

Is anyone able to attend the Public Hearing for the opening of a new hospital in Westwood on Monday, June 8 at 4:30 to 8:30 pm at Westwood Regional Junior/Senior High School at 701 Ridgewood Rd. in Washington Township? Please email prospectavenuecoalition@yahoo.com if you can attend.

http://www.keepourhospitalshealthy.org/view-comments-from-petition/

The Issue
The foundation of northern New Jersey’s healthcare system is at risk.

Hackensack University Medical Center, in a joint venture with a Texas private equity firm, Legacy Hospital Partners, is seeking approval to open a for-profit acute care facility on the former Pascack Valley Hospital (PVH) site. PVH went bankrupt and closed in November 2007, due in large part to what a recent Governor-appointed NJ Commission identified as “an oversupply of hospital beds that is…most pronounced in the Hackensack, Ridgewood, Paterson and the Newark/Jersey City market areas.”

The closure of PVH produced increased occupancy rates and financial stability at the remaining Bergen County hospitals.

This for-profit joint venture could significantly damage the financial strength of the other Bergen County hospitals, thereby destabilizing the region’s access to healthcare and reversing the benefits that have been provided to local residents.

When an oversupply of hospital beds floods a market, services and equipment are duplicated, driving up costs. Existing hospitals, their employees and the communities they serve pay a very serious price. The public bears the costs while profits go to a few.

There should be a satellite Emergency Department at the former Pascack Valley site so that residents have access in emergency situations. But to add a new inpatient, acute-care hospital in a region that has an oversupply of beds would be detrimental to the fragile healthcare system in Bergen County. As result, access and quality of care would be affected.

Healthy hospitals for all of Bergen County – that’s the issue. Let’s keep the whole community in mind.

0-for-3. Saw bunny again. Same time. Same spot. Feels like we are dating now. Zoomed in for pic but girl walking in front of me must have stomped too hard on the sidewalk and bunny booked. boo hoo. bringing carrots to work tomorrow.

If 2 year construction starts on 24-story building on Prospect/Summit does that mean no bunny just swarms of smaller creatures with long tails looking for cheese.

In this Friday's (May 29th) issue of the Hackensack Chronicle there is an article on the front page about the May 14th Special Zoning Board Meeting to hear the testimony of Richard Pineles re: Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care project which he plans to build on Summit and Prospect Avenues.

Shout out to Maxine living in one of the buildings in the area who was quoted on page 5. I like the newsprint coverage.

Enjoyed the cross conducted by the attorney who lives in one of the buildings on Prospect Avenue. Nice and lengthy. Oh and very amusing at least to me.

If you live near Prospect/Summit Avenue or have to drive thru the area please do not forget to attend the Second Special Zoning Board Meeting on Thursday June 25th at 7 pm in the 3rd floor auditorium at City Hall located at 65 Central Avenue.

Thank you everyone for coming out tonight to show your opposition to the Richard Pineles Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care facility. We packed the auditorium and we let him know what we thought about his application.
 
The Hackensack Zoning Board has scheduled the second Special Meeting for Thursday June 25th at 7 pm in the 3rd floor auditorium at 65 Central Avenue.
 
We have plenty more testimony to hear so we have to keep showing up in numbers. We have to be prepared to ask hard and relevant questions which will reveal that this project is not the right one for Prospect/Summit Avenues. If you can't be there at 7 pm come when you can. If you are not in town on that day get someone to go in your place. See you then.

Here is an article in the County Seat:

http://www.thecountyseat.biz/issues/May%208,%202009%20(special%20-16pgs).indd.pdf

One objector is being represented by their own counsel and perhaps another. We (the peeps on Prospect/Summit/Overlook) should separately have counsel represent us as a whole. I am in favor of hiring counsel AND experts especially traffic to represent our crew. May 14 is fast approaching. Time's awastin'.

Here is an article on the front page of the County Seat from May 1st:

http://www.thecountyseat.biz/issues/May_2009.pdf

Prospect/Summit Avenue are organizing and we will look into this "legal" issue. Some things to note:

1. When the Mayor and some of the City Council got up to speak they did so as residents and not in their official capacity and as a courtesy to their official role they allowed them to speak before the public.
2. The applicant's attorney reminded the Zoning Board to remain impartial.
3. The present Mayor and crew got alot of votes from Prospect Avenue due to their support of the resident's position against Excelsior III.
4. We had already established that the applicant had received inherently beneficial use so our purpose should be to keep the project scaled down although if we can present obstacles or alternatives ie moving the project to another zone then that is another day before the 2 year construction begins.
5. The petitions are for the Mayor/Council to see how much the residents really don't want this project not and possibly for them to measure how many votes they might get if they support the issue. All of us including the Mayor realize that this is an election year and supporting the residents wants is what gets people voted in. We have to acknowledge their support of the fight against Excelsior III has helped to keep them off the block up to today.
6. The Zoning Board questioned the applicant regarding how he selected this Summit/Prospect location and also asked why not the zoned area down by Atlantic so it may be up to the Mayor/Council to find a parcel with possible incentives tax or otherwise to lure the applicant away from the site in question.