Broadlands Hospital

Please look at the maps on the HOA website. There are three maps dated 1999, 2002, and 2004. That land is CLEARLY noted as "Office" or "Commercial" and NOT "Hospital" or "Mental Health Care Facility".

http://www.broadlandshoa.org/info/maps.html

I am not sure who produced these maps, but I am certain that either directly, or by reference, realtors are using these maps to market homes. I would imagine that they are Van Metre maps, and they are not in a rush (almost four years since the last map) to update them.

 

Cliff,

I think that I may be leaving this forum, and using my time toward other endeavours, but I have one last pretty direct question.

In your opinion, is this the best possible location for the hospital?

PS - Thank you for the offer of sharing information about the hospital in person. While I would be glad to sit in on any public forums (irl), I think that it would be both inefficient and counter-productive to inform Broadland Residents one at a time about the hospital. A detailed report from the HOA or an outside agency would be helpful. (Not from Innova or HCA)

 

Agree with you totally that no one wants to market the homes with a big picture of a hospital or commercial land showing there. But WHO sold the land in the first place knowing it would be near residential? Who approved this site? Don't they bear some responsibility?

What is the difference in effect on property values and home sales between a hospital and an office park?

 

VM metre and their partners originally owned the land.

They also had the very lovely broadlands land planned in the old school way. With suburban single family instead of more urban single family adjoining the commercial tracts. Notice how the commercial is usually be built in the old school suburban planning way after the homes around them. Do you really think suburban homes would be as easy to sell if the commercial was there first. THis is the suburbs as VM markets the broadlands not urban.. If the hospital was there first I can guarantee you they would of built a different type of housing there.

Look at the new suburban town centers being built today they build urban type housing near it. The farms is also greatly affected by this hospital also as the buildings are closer to those homes then those in the broadlands even with the toll road. As a rule people only buy homes on bad lots when they have to or nothing else available or because of price. I have been around to long and see the shocked looks of people when they buy across from an empty piece of land and the reality never really sets in until something is built there right or wrong. That is why with todays technology we can do videos that can show what the final final final final buildout could look one year 5 years or 25 years down the road and you can show how the vegetation will grow during those years. And you can see exactly what the residences will see of that hospital from every inch of their property during any of those years as the vegetation grows. The hospital could stop all this nonsense in a second by doing an computerized video, hmmm with the money they have spent and the controversy this project has generated. The billion dollar question is why not. Further they could also could add animated traffic and cars to this video. And show us what the traffic will really be like. This stuff I am talking about is not fantasy or hard to do anymore, it is used all the time to sell a good neighbor projects and avoided like the plague when the developer knows he will get a negative reaction. Renderings only show the project in the best light. Videos will show every potential hickup and also will show the positive.

It is crazy that loudoun and northern virginia has not down an video of the entire area considering we are one of the highest tech areas in the world. I understand DC has done this with a good part of dc especially around the mall. Hell they have done it with the new baseball stadium. It is quite fun to look at.

Lee j

 

As I've mentioned before here, the property is zoned PDOP-
Planned Development/Office Park. There are by-right uses, such as offices or medical office buildings, and dozens of other uses allowed via Special Exception. A hospital is listed as a special exception use. Granting Special Exceptions is not unusual. The past Board approved 84 of 85.

I believe HCA bought the property in 2003. The large table map in the Nature Center shows the hospital on it.

 

ANd we certainly know how most of us feel about the last board and their development policies. The one vote they got correct about this hospital you now want to over turn.

Have them do the video Cliff so we all can see from every property that has potential to be effected by this hospital from what I said in my above post. including an traffic video. The intrusion might surprise many of you.

Lee j

 

I honestly can't say whether it is the "best" location or not.
HCA's arguments for that location...the furthest west on the Greenway as possible....was somewhat validated by the fact that's where the county told Inova to build if they wanted to put a hospital in the county.
Arguments for other locations: Leesburg or Western Loudoun. There needs to be 60 contiguous acres, with water and sewer on the property and with proper zoning. It doesn't exist out there, nor is there a population base in western Loudoun to support it.

The population growth of Loudoun has been, and will continue to be in the Ashburn/Brambleton area. It was that way before the last Board took office and it is where the last Board approved the vast majority of residential zoning.

The Greenway is the only highway in the county, which provides the fastest access. It is also bordered by one of the busiest north/south corridors in Rte 659.

Many arguments are being made for a hospital on Rte 50. This is a less attractive location due to the poor transportation grid there, and it will not be as accessible to the majority of western Loudoun. Bot Inova/HCA have said a hospital is not needed there yet, although both are planning for it.

Farther east, closer to Rte 28, puts the hospital even farther from the population of Loudoun County.

I guess in a perfect world, the property on the west side of Rte 659, south of the Greenway would have been a great location. But it did not have the zoning or the utilitiy requirements. That property has since been sold and will be hundreds of homes.

The May 2004 Broadlands Newsletter would be a good starting point for you. It was the endorsement of BRMC by the Broadlands HOA.

I extend my offer to residents who are interested. Don't worry about the inefficiencies of my time. Very few people take me up on the offer, so I am always happy to discuss the issue with those that are interested.

 

Sorry to ask again but since lee won't answer it:

HCA contends the Loudoun County board of supervisors ASKED THEM to build a hospital on the site for which they now own the land.

HCA may or may not contend the next bit, I pieced this bit together: HCA accepted the request, bought the land, and began planning. Applied to the state for a COPN which was granted. Then the entire board of directors was replaced in an election year. Then the new board of directors asked HCA to move to another site, and HCA wasn't interested, instead opting to file for the exception to build.

I'm leaving allegations of INOVA interference out of all this for a reason but am aware of them.

 

Mr. Rogers- I know this project is extremely important to HCA. Not sure why you are implying I believe otherwise. I was inquiring of Lee what "Board" he was referring to, because I don't know.

 

That does not make any sense for the BOS tell them to build on that site and then vote it down???????

Lee j

 

Firestorm?! If it was a firestorm it would dominate our local papers and not just the Broadlands forum. And why are you the only one who seems to think that they bullied and crammed their way in?

As for a hospital expanding, well DUH! If there is a need then I am all for that too!

As for office complexes expanding, WRONG! AOL expanded rather HUGELY didn't they and it wasn't their original plan. And look what we will have now that they are bailing out of Loudoun. Empty office space, yet you want more!

Stick to the flex-prisons and road name battles Lee and leave the "windmill" alone.

 

The BoS never asked HCA to build a hospital there.
I'm pretty sure HCA purchased the property in 2003.
HCA received a COPN from the state for a hospital on that site. When HCA went to the BoS for Special Exception approval, a few commented they would prefer a hospital on Rte 50.

 

The last board of snow and his gang the pro development board that voted this down could be possibly what you are asking

And if you mean an hospital board that was answered I think by Rodgers. There are boards in major companies public or not.

All I know with far more forums and blogs then was around the last go round there will be far more information going out both correct and incorrect. But I believe when this boils down the office will be more desirable then the hospital especially when you take in account hospitals always expand beyond anyones wildest expectations from their original vission. I can't think of too many hospital expansions that have ever been totaly turned down I can think of a ton of office expansions that have been turned down.

Cliff I like and respect you but on this topic I really believe this hospital is the wrong thing to do. Way too many future unknowns.

Leer j

 

Lee-
I know you would just consider this a minor detail, BUT THE HOSPITAL ISN'T EVEN IN FRONT OF THE COUNTY!!!!!!!! HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY WON'T PROVIDE THE DETAILS YOU WANT. HAVE YOU EVEN ASKED?????????
Sheesh......

Sorry for the shout, but just trying to get through.......

 

It's a built-in ready-made opposition base!

 

T8 you are kidding me of course on your AOL analogy

ANd if the hospital was on aol property they could expand until their hearts content.

At last nights bos meeting there was a tiny little flash of what is to come and if you blinked your eye last night you may have not caught it but I did and so did york and he shut it down and properly so. This hospital is not yet up for debate yet and hopefully the hospital will do the correct thing and withdraw as Hobbie Mitchell did last month with his ridge water project.

 

techno-
I think you are incorrect. At least I have never heard it mentioned ever before that HCA was asked to build on that site. I'm obviously not in any inner circle, but I've never heard it mentioned once.
I think you are mixing together a few different facts and jumbling them up.

 

Lee, that flash was probably in your own little world.

Lee, I am not the pessimist that your are. I tend to see things a slight bit rosier than you. I also think you are WAAAY to impassioned about a project that is not even in your community, will have no impact on your traffic, noise, pollution...

WHY has this become your latest pet-peeve? Not getting the results you desire from accross the street with the flex-space? HCA didn't include you in the architectural design?

I can see why others have a vested interest in this but why have you become so active in JUST the past 2 months?

 

Excellent we will certainly be looking forward to this animated video with no holes barred that every conceivable angle can be seen from any property that has a potential negative impact. These are not hard to do these days. I just saw one a buddy Architect friend of mine just did for a very sensitive piece of property he has designed a major mixed use development for. It was unbelievable and you could control where and what you wanted to see. It was almost like it was built you could even go into some of the buildings right thru the doors and you felt like you were walking around just like you were there. Now he is going to add cars and vehicles to it to do an animated traffic study with working traffic lights and all. You got to love this modern technology there is no reason anymore for us not to be able to see what any future project will look like form any point that it will impact. I love this technology and it really helps everyone to understand completely the impact. Good and Bad It also gives you a chance to correct things before they are built.

Lee j

 

Like this happens with EVERY project! Maybe in Shangri-La but not in the real world.

Developers buy land, developers build on land, developers throw up a few trees and plants. Welcome to Northern Virginia!