BRMC Update & Press Release

VWeisenburg: I don't think the point is when (since the all-knowing state does not acknowledge immediate need, although some sound bytes prefer to think so) Middleburg gets a clinic, but the fact that it gets planned THAT THEY DO. Ever read the obits? The existing population is aging out there, and the new population is similar to ours in demographics. They will need one, and breaking the neverneverland logjam of smart growth will acknowledge that the needs of the county are diverse and dispersed.

Side note: did you know there is a 99 acre high school site in Middleburg? I'm sure it won't be a high school in this century. It is leased to parks and rec for something like a dollar a year, and a portion is (no lie) leased as pasture land to a neighboring estate. Wonder how many columns THAT goes through in the budget. Interesting in light of the condemnation proceedings undertaken recently for land for a new western high school. So, was it good planning, land-banking, what?

Back to topic: The flood of growth already occurred during the smart growth board, and accomplished two things: a lot of people came in under the radar (schools DID NOT TRACK by-right growth until 2002/03), and a lot of land got used up by-right. If we don't get the planning in place, we are assured of a mess well into the next century.

Don't hold your breath on the 50-acre zoning. Court may rule it exclusionary (as has been determined other places). Interesting article in today's metro about Fredericksburg and who has standing to sue.

No, I don't misunderstand and am not seeking to mislead. You are reiterating what I said: the state counts heads and beds between Alexandria and Winchester, and has said twice that no new ones will be approved until they evaluate after existing approvals come on line. So, we move some right now right next to the only ones we have in county, the approvals come on, they evaluate and OOPS, you don't need any more over there! We will have two hospitals right on top of one another, and no other options. No thanks.

You seem to be recycling "immediate need". Sox Fan seems to be playing the repetitive question game. Well, Sox, remember when you were repeating "Who is going to build on Rte 50? Who is going to build on Rte 50? Who is ...." I recall saying that we don't know everything, and that doesn't mean things aren't happening. It appears we now have an answer to that endless question: a merged LHI/Inova. So, we switch to "immediate need" (which VW and I are in apparent agreement that the state doesn't buy) and start saying "When will Inova build on Rte 50? When will Inova build on Rte 50? When will Inova..." Sorry, no sale on playing that game either.

(note that the proffered site is NOT in South Riding, but lump it all together if it makes you feel better)

p.s. to VW: what is your takeaway from the letter? I can't tell from your comment whether you liked/disliked it--but am interested in what you thought it said.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Two things, first you are mixing apples and oranges. There are two issues that determine approval of beds in the PD. One is ratio of residents to beds (both online and in the pipeline). The formulas used to determine that do not include geographic placement as a disciminator (ie. all of the beds could be in a 5 mile square and it wouldn't change the formula used by HSANV). So on that criteria the movement of beds from one part of the PD to another will have no bearing on the future requests for additional beds in Loudoun or anywhere else for that matter. Yes the State will consider proximity of existing facilities in determing the final COPN, but if the population density is such that it would support a hospital in the west, BRMC would have no effect on the approval.

Second, ever hear of the saying a bird in hand is worth two in the bush? This county has needed a 2nd hospital for more than a decade, and like it or not (and I am on the like it side obviously) HCA is the only option for the hospital we need today (I don't know where you got the idea I didn't think the hospital was needed ASAP). They "own" the only beds in the PD that can be moved to Loudoun. If BRMC was to be defeated, then the HCA beds will more than likely stay where they are today. Which will still prevent Loudoun from receiving approval for additional beds. So you are willing to hope that HCA either walks away from the beds they have now, or that the state suddenly changes the fomulas for the district? No thank you. I will take the sure thing. Otherwise it will be 10 to 15 years before we get another hospital.

If the west wanted a hospital so bad, they shouldn't have downzoned so much that there will never be the population to support one. Just because you want something doesn't mean you should get it.

As far as the letter from BRMC is concerned, I am happy that they are trying to line up as much additional support as possible before the BoS vote. I fear that the deck is already stacked against BRMC but since some of the board seems set on the idiocy that is LHC's amendment to the CSCAM, but I would remind them that they will be up for re-election in 2007.

 

well Barbara...actually you were wrong, I wasn't playing "a game" as you so called it. I really wanted to know if INOVA had a date set on when they were going to build. I haven't spoken to the INOVA Loudoun folks to see what there timeframe was. I have only read that they will build. I figured with your tight connection with Snow that you might now the answer to that. I guess you don't know everything.

Anyone else out there know what their timeframe to build on rt. 50 is?

 

"At least 10 years."

 

Zansu-
I've made my opinions based on facts and information received from
the county, multiple hospitals and their personnel, doctors, lawyers, residents, media sources, realtors, and on and on and on.
I'll be happy to share my sources about any subject with you any time you care to ask. But that might interfere with your "rose colored" perceptions of my sources of information.

 

aaahhhh thanks vacliff! Wow...10 years.

 

SoxFan: I've said several times that I don't know everything, and I'm glad you agree. Sorry if I jumped on you for your question--you've been persistent here and on other threads no matter the answer, so I thought you were revving up to that.

VWeisenburg: Yes the state will consider proximity of existing facilities. Thank you for concurring on that. That's why I don't see the overwhelming value of the particular bird that is trying so desperately to perch on our hand. Once it gets nested in, we might see twenty or more years go by before facilities are located anywhere else in our growing county.

Whether the downzoning stands or falls, there has still been growth in the rural reserve, with even less infrastructure than we've seen. The incredible attitude of denial that would desperately love to continue believing that nothing whatsoever has changed since the gallant Gray Ghost raided with his cavaliers in defense of a fragile way of life has succeeded to a certain degree in hiding just how much the county has changed in the last few years. Remember that Loudoun Valley was the most underprojected of all the school clusters, and it takes the huge portion of the county from about Hamilton on west.

I was up northwest of Lovettsville at a shower Saturday night, and had to give someone a ride home to southwest of Hillsboro afterward (quite a tour of dirt roads by night. whee!), and was really intrigued by the number of low-density by-rights I saw. I'd be driving through the woods, and suddenly come on a looping street on the side of a ridge with lights of homes dotted up down and around. Just getting from 287 back into the woods to the party I passed at least five new developments, all off of dirt roads.

When the downzoning went in, there were over 13K parcels of land in western Loudoun that would be in the 20 and 50 acre zones, of which 11K became non-conforming lots once it was passed. That means most of the land parcels out there are already subdivided in less than 20 acres, and some much smaller. The Towe's property averages 11-acre lots, for instance, and the development I saw looked as if it were in the 5-10 range from the proximity of the houses, but may have been clustered. Driving out Snickersville Turpike through the estate district could still give the impression that there's nothing for miles, but there are new homes even there.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Barbara, you had to go to Lovettsville for a shower?! My god woman, you want a hospital and don't even have running water to your home yet!

 

Inside everything written, the most insightful comment is this:

Barbara please admit your main interest is getting a hospital out your way and stop the charades. Everything else will seem more credible.

By the way, I do not agree with your assumption.

 

T8erman, haven't you heard me yelling for years about services? And with no running water, can you imagine the diseases we are subject to? (seriously, my nephew from Hillsboro is engaged to a wonderful girl from Lovettsville--they met when they were students at Valley.)

AFGM: Sorry, no sale on playing that game again with you either. Of course you can believe whatever you like. Hon, don't forget that little sticking point about chosen anonymity not being much of a flagpole to wave "credibility" from!


Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Barbara,

Credibility comes from backing up your statements with facts.
Anonymity has little to do with it. Just because you don't know
my name doesn't mean that anything I say (or AFGM for that matter)
is less valid. On the other hand, you stated that BRMC is part
of the smart growth political agenda but not offered any facts
to back up your opinion. I countered that HCA makes decisions
as a business based on things like economics, need and infrastructure.
HCA did not decide to build in Loudoun to serve the agenda of the
previous board.

It has become perfectly clear that your agenda is to kill BRMC
because you see it as delaying or denying a hospital (as yet
unapplied for) which you feel should be built across from your
community. Somehow you have concluded that a hospital located in
Broadlands would not serve you and your fellow residents of South
Riding. I believe that BRMC will serve all residents of Loudoun
by providing needed services and healthy competition. They will
also provide tax revenue, jobs and infrastructure improvements.
These are all positives for Loudoun residents.

It is a fact that you want a hospital built on Rt. 50 even though
there is no application or near term plan to build one. It is also
a fact that you oppose BRMC because it could delay the building
of a Rt. 50 hospital. It is a fact that BRMC's site is more
centrally located and has better access than the Rt. 50 corridor.

You want services. Inova/Loudoun Hospital has offerred to build
a "health plex" over your way and eventually build a hospital
when it makes financial sense. Sounds to me like you are getting
the needed services. BRMC won't be that far from you and will be
available within 4 years, not 10+. If you were really only
interested in getting the services you would support BRMC.

skins fan

 

Skins fan, I'm just not going to argue with you. Given that "smart" growth has never been defined (sometimes it seems like pornography, in that they'll let us know when they see it), I don't know how to provide you with some easily-digested talking point facts to prove it to your satisfaction. We disagree, so it seems pointless.

You can take whatever I say and rearrange it however it pleases you to "prove" what you think I really think, but the fact shall probably remain that we just aren't going to see eye to eye on this. I think that BRMC doesn't serve the entire county well, I think it will block approvals for the entire rest of the county for years (including me, and the site isn't "across" from SR either, it is west of here past Arcola), I think putting it on a road that you need a credit card or a smart tag to get on is somewhere between ludicrous and criminal, and given the history of "smart" growth in Loudoun I can tell you I will never think anything other than that BRMC looks, walks and quacks like that particular kind of duck.

I also will not be up at the BoS waving a sign against it.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

See Barbara, there is hope in the world. Truly You'll see the light eventually.

 

AFGM, I've never said any different, but you are right that there's ALWAYS hope in the world (happy holidays all!).

[Neither will I be up there supporting it, nor will I hesitate to say what I think to anyone who asks... ]

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Comments?
http://www.leesburg2day.com/current.cfm?catid=28&newsid=10087

 

I'd love to read that e-mail referencing the Governor's opinions. I'd love to cross-google the sender with Jay Shropshire. Wonder who will make the next move, and what it will be?

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Barbara-
No move needed. The three individuals that truly run the Board of Supervisors have ensured that BRMC will be denied, and off to court it goes!! I doubt BRMC will succeed there, either.
So, it's wait another for 10-15 years for a hospital to be built to serve this county. I hope everyone remains healthy! Loudoun Hospital is already stacking patients in the halls again in the ER..

 

What do you mean, Cliff? The Healthcare CPAM hasn't come for a final vote at the BoS yet, has it? And the BRMC app hasn't yet been re-filed to my knowledge. If they (HCA) are going directly to a suit, that IS the next move, isn't it?

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

The Healthcare CPAM (which I support) does not specify locations for hospitals so it really isn't relevant as to whether BRMC is approved or not. I thought the Healthcare CPAM DID get final approval???
I meant that there will probably be "no move" based on the article you referenced.
The outcome, in my opinion, has been pre-determined by this Board, regardless of CPAM's, public hearings, BRMC's increased proffers, etc.

 

The CPAM does designate areas targeted for facilities, as I understand it. What it doesn't do is target which entities build them. It did get a rec for approval at the Planning Com, but hasn't gone through the full BoS process yet. I have been wondering why HCA withdrew their app just to possibly enhance their road proffers, and wondered whether it was to re-enter the process after the CPAM had gone through, in order to be able to say in court (if denied) that the BoS had denied them because they planned to change land use (like the old BoS did down here to create a "transition" area). A lot of what they (HCA) has done doesn't make a lot of logical sense--maybe they really were banking on a re-election of the old BoS. Well, I've been waiting to see what the judge decided, and here it is. Interesting, and I'd still like to read that e-mail!

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.