(Spencer)– The Spencer City Council Monday held a public hearing on a request from Spencer Hospital to vacate East 11th Street from Grand Avenue to 2nd Avenue East and 1st Avenue East from East 10th Street to East 11th Street. Hospital President and CEO Bill Bumgarner told the council it would allow them to relocate the Emergency Room to a more prominent location. He says it would also help with future recruitment of physicians…
“We’re very fortunate in Spencer over, actually, probably the last 30 years in the growth and development of our medical staff, surgical specialists and other physicians that care for us every day. And in order to ensure that, we just need to have a modern facility and access to the technology they need to do their best work. This is all involved in this process, and also as we look to the potential for future expansion.”
Among those speaking in opposition of the request was Dan Ries, interim CEO of Season’s Center for Behavioral Health in Spencer…
“Really the concern for me as the leader of Seasons Center is what this will do to our business. For those that don’t know we are located directly east of the hospital on 11th Street. So closing this road would take away direct access that our employees and our patients have to Grand Avenue and basically puts us kind of in a corner.”
Some residents also expressed concern, saying East 11th Street is a main east-west artery in the city.
No action was taken on the matter. Mayor Kevin Robinson explained the intent was solely to hold a public hearing at Monday’s evening. He says the matter will come back to the council at subsequent sessions for 1st, 2nd and 3rd readings before it would be considered for possible final adoption. In the meantime Robinson says city staff will gather data to address some of the concerns expressed at Monday’s public hearing.
