Proposal for Halfmoon hospital to be discussed Monday

PHOTOGRAPHER: Cari Scribner

Plans for a 120-bed hospital with a 24-hour emergency room on Route 146 will be presented to residents at a public information session Monday night.

The public information meeting on the Halfmoon Hospital and Medical Campus will be held at 7 p.m. at the Halfmoon Town Plaza.

Early designs presented by Boni Enterprises for the 80-acre campus included a 250,000 square-foot, 120-bed hospital, a 24-hour-a-day emergency room, and as many as 20 related service buildings. The project requires a zoning change because the parcel sits in an area current zoned only for use as residential or agricultural space.

Town Planning Department Director Steven Watts said while no action will be taken Monday night, he is eager to see the new overview of the project, now more specifically mapped out.

“The developers have resolved some of the wetland issues, and our engineers have reviewed the plans, but there are many other details, including the height of the buildings, roads, and how traffic will be affected on Route 146,” Watts said.

Developers must also obtain a certificate of need from the New York State Health Department.

Discussions with the Town Board and the town’s Planning Board have been under way for two years, pre-dating the findings by the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, chaired by Stephen Berger, which became law on January 1, 2008.The commission also recommended new or expanding facilities in and around Saratoga County.

The nearest hospitals are Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, which is 14 miles away, and Saratoga Hospital, which is 21 miles away.