Broadlands Hospital

Geez Lee, a few posts ago you were sending Mr. Miller down the river because he appointed the Pea and I to volunteer committee's. Glad you've changed your opinion of him.

 

Interesting that we have had numerous helicopter landings in Broadlands that were significantly closer to homes than the proposed helipad might be.
I didn't hear one report of excessive noise, rattling windows, or pictures falling off the walls.

I will also point out that the helipad is not yet a part of the hospital proposal. They removed it from their application last time around. although I don't see how you can have a hospital without one.

 

Lee-
Since you bring up public opinion polls again, I will now ask you for the eighth time and would appreciate your response:

Okay, Lee, let me pose this to you.
Let's say BRMC is again put before the county, along with the tens of millions of dollars in road proffers, millions of dollars in tax revenue, and providing more healthcare to a county that is woefully underserved, as well as all those high paying jobs.
How many people does it take for the county to turn it down?
Just one person saying "I live there and don"t like it." 10? 20? 100?
What if 20 don't like it, but 20 that live nearby say they do?
And what is your definition of "Closest?" 1/2 mile? mile? 100 yards?

I know there are many supporters who live near the site. In fact the resident in the house right on the corner by the entrance was a HUGE supporter...and his wife worked for Loudoun Hospital. Since he was the closest, does his vote trump all?

 

Nonsensical argument since neither of your first two bullet points was ever a possibility. The property is zoned for millions of square feet of commercial space. Has been since they turned over the first spade of earth in Broadlands.
I'll use my house as an example. Some people, like Lee, think I have a very valuable and rare commodity for this area (the view) that adds an incredible amount of value to my home. Others will look at it and say "backs to a 4-lane road, no backyard, I don't want it."

And don't forget the fact that Van Metre just sold the closest lots to the hospital entrance in the past few months. I don't think they discounted prices any because of it. The few people who bought there that I spoke to are well aware of the hospital and it did not deter them.

 

Cliff you are like a little kid ha ha When you make statements like this. I have always supported Mr Miller and I have a right to agree or disagree just like you do about about any public official's vote, stance, comments etc that Does not mean I don't support him or her in the overall big picture.

As far as your argument about jobs taxes roads improvements we would get that anyway no matter where this hospital is built and hopefully built where it causes the least problems overall and can expand without causing more controversy's down the road.

There are way too many future problems with this hospital that we would not have with an office park, which I have mentioned too many times.

This is one of the most controversial developments I have seen so far in Loudoun. It is time to plan and develop on what is left of this clean slate in loudoun correctly. Way way too many unknowns and potential problems forever with this hospital especially in expansion.

Almost all HOSPITALS EXPAND forever beyond their original build out and these hospital people have never closed that door and they can't. They are already going into this with a con job when it comes to the helipad so who knows what is next.

Another hospital is a great idea but just in the right location that will cause the least amount of problems like the proposed hospital before the BOS right now. On plenty of land and virtually no existing neighbors to be disturbed. As a matter of fact that other proposed hospital will increase land values over there not hurt them.

I have not seen a thing in writing about anything from anyone that says this hospital can never never expand and surrounding homes values will not be hurt. And they are still hurt if they do not go up at the same rate as similar homes in other parts of the boardlands in the future because of this hospital.

Lee j



Lee j

 

I was not putting the first two bullet points as a possibility for this piece of property (although I would love to have a 9 hole executive golf course there). I was REFUTING a previous statement that the hospital will not have a negative effect on the homes directly adjacent to it. It was an explanation of the variable that come into play with the actual price of a house.
I think that it was far from nonsense. I was keeping it simple, but my guesstimates on the effect of different adjacent property.

FYI, we bought a 5000 sq ft house for the same price of a 2600 house at Belmont CC (7 years ago). Please, just admit that a hospital will not attract residents; Even doctors don't want to live next door to a hospital! The exception are those who were considering Leisure World as an option. (Seniors are always concerned with the nearest hospital not being too far away).

 

Lee,

You need to get your facts straight. You are wrong about the taxes and road improvements. The offer to widen Belmont between Broadlands and Brambleton is specific to the proposal for BRMC. No other entity has offered the pay to complete this section of Belmont. Cost estimates from several years ago were $8 million and I am sure its more than that now. That is a very substantial savings to taxpayers. In addition, Inova does not pay taxes on their land because they are a non-profit. BRMC would be paying more than $4 million per year. Both hospitals would provide jobs but BRMC would provide them much sooner.

The claims of diminished property values are without merit. Many hospitals coexist in residential neighborhoods where they are much closer to single family homes than BRMC will be. Take a look at Arlington hospital which is completely surrounded by homes with no buffer. The homes around it sell at comparable prices to other homes nearby. Several Loudoun realtors have told me that BRMC would help make Broadlands a more desirable location to live. Some people might not want to live near to a commercial zone with various businesses but others won't mind. That will be the case regardless of whether a hospital is built there or 5 office buildings. Just like Cliff pointed out, some people would value his view but others might focus on the steep back yard and major road. But taxes and property values are not the main point here, meeting the healthcare needs of Loudoun county is.

If BRMC is not built, we won't have another hospital in Loudoun for many years. We will continue not to have many types of specialists and even more of Loudoun residents will have to go to Fairfax or DC for healthcare. Competition will be good and already has been. Loudoun Hospital has made major improvements since BRMC was announced and their reactionary application to build a rehabilitation hospital after Heath South announced plans to build one is proof of how competition is forcing Inova to improve and provide more needed services for the county.

I sincerely hope you will take time to research this issue some more and be open to the fact that there are thousands of people in the county whose healthcare needs are not being met by just one hospital. I hope you agree that those needs are very important and that we must do something now to work towards meeting them.

Skins fan

 

I think it is humourous that people are talking about helicopter noise. I hear helo's in this area quite frequently, and they are never as loud as some of the jet aircraft taking off and landing at dulles.

 

I don't suppose the potential for chopper noise would bother you if you don't live adjacent to the property like some of us do.

 

http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/blogs/living-loco/2008/jan/11/hca-continue-legal-challenge/

 

Lee, my point is...

It is plainly obvious that with as much whining as you have done about the flex-space bldgs (and Redrum Dr.) across from the Regency that you and your community had no say it how it is being built/developed.

Or it is pretty much just you complaining and the rest of your neighbors don't care?

 

I get more of that from the 747's heading to heathrow - especially with a low ceiling due to clouds. frankly the noise from daily planes bothers me more than a helicopter.

 

Lets put it this way T8 you might be surprised what ends up being built across from my entrance.

Perhaps a future model for all future development how to transition from residential to commercial. win win

Further have you noticed the guy on the corner is so scared he has sped up the construction of two of the buildings and the third he has stopped with just an eyesore of an slab no steel going up. He is the poster child for what is wrong with loudoun development. Also the original developer has said publically in the paper recently that land was improperly zoned and should of been residential as it is surrounded on three sides by residential with absolutely no transition. That is a developer saying that.

I have spent years dealing with land use for my clients and at least my clients always wanted to have an win win hence they are good neighbor builders. I have also have had the opportunities to be involved in projects in different parts of this country and other parts of the world. But I am only gotten myself involved here as a concerned citizen of Loudoun county who to plans to stay here and not jump ship like many of you all will someday. Perhaps many of you are not concerned about loudoun's beauty or building green, but there are many of us that are concerned. The junk on waxpool and on the greenway has become an wake up call for the rest of Loudoun. Personally I doubt this hospital will ever be built on that site in the broadlands. And it is not an public company by the way. They bought back their stock.

Lee j

 

Excellent points, Skins fan.

 

Lee, HCA did not buy back their stock just to go back to being private. They were acquired in a leveraged buyout.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/24/news/companies/hca_deal/index.htm

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119966964943671279.html

Read this from the Wall Street Journal Dated Jan 7 2008

 

Yeah, Ok.

But did you do any further research or do you just read a line or 2 from the first hit you get and then post what you want to anyhow?

Here are so more links. Of course, you still may not believe them anyhow. Since you OBVIOUSLY did so much research on this particular subject.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-07-24-hca_x.htm
http://www.moneyweek.com/file/16457/private-equity-raiders-could-be-heading-for-a-fall.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/articles/hca072406.html

Do you need more?

 

Lee-
You still have avoided answering the question I posed to you eight times.

 

T8 it does not matter in the big picture.

Not going to debate something that has nothing to do with the fact

This is a good hospital in the wrong location.

Besides there are some new kinks in all this lately!!!!!

 

Interesting... we now have a NEW blog up Stop BRMC and Loudoun Healthfacts that bring up your agruments Lee...
Ironic that the noise from the helicopter, traffic and home values (things that you harp about) are the center of the new blog spot. But based on the language style I would put the ownership back on Donna's camp...

http://stopbrmc.blogspot.com/2008/01/refresher-why-hca-broadlands-is-bad-for.html