VHC Health (Virginia Hospital Center) came away July 22 with government approval for a 1.6-percent increase in interior space on its main campus, with local leaders saying the fractured relationship between hospital leadership and the surrounding community may be taking a turn for the better.
The proposal for additional space at the North George Mason Drive complex was not controversial in and of itself, but fraught relations between the hospital and surrounding residents – largely over the facility’s recently quarter-billion-dollar expansion plan – led County Board members in June to defer action in an push to bring the sides closer today.
“I’m really glad that we did do the delay,” County Board Chairman Libby Garvey said at the July 22 meeting, pointing to a number of meetings and actions in the interim.
Garvey had been the lone County Board member to vote against a deferral in June.
In a public hearing that preceded the July 22 vote, residents voiced a litany of ongoing concerns about light, noise, traffic and stormwater issues, among others.
There were, however, indications that the relationship was improving.
“I think that we have accomplished a lot,” local activist Wilma Jones told County Board members. (Jones parenthetically wondered if the hospital leadership’s receptive mood was due to the fact “they want something.”)
Jones used her time at the dais to criticize county-government staff for taking what she contended was a hands-off attitude toward complaints raised by the public.
“Your staff really makes the community feel like [county staff] works for the hospital,” not the public, Jones told County Board members.
Despite a deluge of complaints over the years, there has been only one notice of violation of zoning conditions issued to the hospital since 2018, county staff acknowledged.
“That’s a little surprising,” County Board member Susan Cunningham retorted.
County staff countered that verbal warnings are issued first, and only if matters are not corrected within 10 days are written violations taken and sanctions made.
County Manager Mark Schwartz said his staff is responsive to community complaints, within limits.
“We have handled them directly and immediately,” he said. “That does not mean we are there 24/7.”
The expansion authorized by County Board members on a 5-0 vote July 22 will take about 18 to 24 months to complete, hospital officials said.
