Wednesday, April 23, 2003
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Wednesday, April 23, 2003 |
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Hospital wants F'ville to annex 27 acres for expansion By JOHN MUNFORD By JOHN THOMPSON
Fayette Community Hospital is ready to grow again, by annexation, and Fayetteville's mayor says the city is ready to accommodate the expansion. Hospital officials have asked the City of Fayetteville to annex over 27 acres into the city so it may build "professional buildings with adjacent parking lots and landscaping," according to documents. Hospital spokesperson Ryan Duffy said plans for the services that will be offered at the new facility have not been finalized. "It's still very early in the planning stages," Duffy said. "We are evaluating the services we need and the level of those services and the funding of those services and where we are going to put them. ... When we have those plans in place we cannot wait to share the good news." The 27-acre site consists of two parcels adjacent to the hospital campus. Both tracts are located on Ga. Highway 54 near the hospital; one tract is 4.91 acres in size and zoned office-institutional and the other is 22.7 acres and zoned R-70 for single-family residential. The annexation would allow the property to be served by the city's sewer system. The unincorporated county is not served by a sewer system. Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele announced the development at Thursday night's City Council meeting. He said the expansion would allow the hospital to offer additional treatment and service options. Steele called the news "exciting" and noted that the hospital grew at an annual rate of approximately 18 percent in the past three years. "This outstanding growth rate can be attributed to a serious need that had not been met prior to the advent of the hospital," Steele said. "Equally important are the wonderful medical professionals attracted to our community, the administration and support staffs and the large dedicated group of volunteers who make up the auxiliary." Steele said he told hospital leadership that while he couldn't speak for the city council, he felt the annexation effort would be supported. Hospital officials are requesting a medical office zoning for the property if it is annexed into the city, according to documents. The city has notified county officials of the hospital's request, Steele said. Fayette County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn is thrilled the hospital is expanding, but doesn't quite see why the property needs to be annexed. "This is just another way for the city to expand its boundaries," he said. Dunn said the county would not have objected to extending the city's sewer line to the adjacent property. "I really can't figure this. We want the hospital property to be on sewer, but don't see any reason to change political boundaries," Dunn added. The County Commission will consider the annexation request at its May 7 meeting. The hospital plans to have a second entrance built on Hwy. 54 and a driveway connecting the new building to the current hospital campus, according to city documents. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss the annexation request at a public hearing during its May 27 meeting while the City Council will hold its public hearing on the request June 19.
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