The Newark Advocate - June 28, 2006
Surgery Center Requests Get Conditional OK
Council, Law director Will Review Parking Agreement
By Kent Mallett

The Newark Ambulatory Surgery Center received conditional approval Tuesday from the Newark Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals for requests connected to its $15 million expansion plans.

The major discussion surrounded a variance for on-site parking at the growing facility at Tamarack Road and West Main Street. The city's Code Department said 256 spaces were required, but the Surgery Center is planning 147 on-site spaces and 40 off-site spaces for employees at The Advantage Club on West Main Street.

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved the variance, contingent on approval from the law director and Newark City Council of the parking agreement with The Advantage Club. The Planning Commission approved a lot split and lot combination contingent on board approval of the parking plans.

Jim Havens, a Granville Township trustee who formed Scout Development Limited two years ago as a medical development partnership for the Surgery Center expansion, said the city code gives conflicting parking requirements for hospitals and medical clinics.

"We believe, under our interpretation of the code, we're in compliance," Havens said. "We really carefully studied your code and did planning very carefully. We really think we've gone above and beyond."

The Surgery Center, which will be renamed the Medical Center of Newark after completion of the expansion project in 2007, has agreed to do the following in exchange for city approval:
· Construct a right turn lane on Tamarack Road onto West Main Street.
· Construct a sidewalk in the city right-of-way from The Advantage Club lot to the medical facility.
· Stripe a crosswalk on Tamarack at the West Main intersection.
· Pay for an upgraded traffic signal and pedestrian signal at the intersection.

Mary Albright, an attorney representing Licking Memorial Health Systems, told the board the Surgery Center proposal does not meet city standards for parking, loading docks and setbacks.

"The applicant is attempting to build more development on this parcel than the zoning code permits," Albright said. "Other property owners will bear the brunt of the overflow parking."

Employees of the medical facility will be required to park on a section of The Advantage Club lot where the Surgery Center has a parking agreement.

Albright questioned how the Surgery Center will enforce the policy its employees must use the off-site lot and walk to work from there.

"Every employee has a special (vehicle) sticker, and we enforce it," Havens said. "We believe we are in a position to control it."

Glenn Abel, member of the zoning board and chairman of the Licking Memorial Health Systems Board, abstained from the vote, but he did address the Planning Commission earlier in the evening.

"In my opinion, we are adding to our problem of traffic in this area," Abel said. "We're going to add with parking off site and pedestrians crossing Tamarack. It's not a fair way of treating the citizens of Newark and the problems we are trying to address with the current zoning."

The zoning board asked the city administration's opinion of the proposal, which Service Director Tim Weisert answered in the affirmative.

"It's 80 (new) jobs, $2 million to $3 million in payroll, $12 million in assessable value and is consistent with promoting business and industry in the area," Weisert said.