Leggett Recommends Lincoln Street Abandonment for Suburban Hospital Expansion

County Executive Isiah Leggett has recommended that a portion of Lincoln Street in Bethesda be abandoned to accommodate Suburban Hospital’s

The hospital requested an abandonment of one block of the road – between Old Georgetown Road and Grant Street – in April of 2008 in order to allow for an addition to the hospital and a new parking garage.

The hospital, which hasn’t seen a major facilities upgrade since 1979, is seeking to add 15 operating rooms, on-site physician offices, and private patient rooms, along with the parking garage.

The County Council has final say over whether the road may be abandoned. Late last month, Leggett signed off on a recommendation by a county public hearing officer which found that the abandonment is necessary to allow the hospital to expand, and in turn, the health services provided by the addition would benefit the community. The officer also found the abandonment would improve hospital-related traffic conflicts in the area, and that residents had a variety of other ways to access the community.

The abandonment of the road, along with the hospital’s plan to demolish homes it owns in the area to allow for the expansion, has been a major point of contention with the community.  The Montgomery County Board of Appeals ruled in October that the hospital may move forward with its plans, though the body ruled that Suburban may only remove less than half of the 23 houses it hoped to demolish in order to expand. Last month, the Huntington Terrace Citizens Association – a group that represents neighbors of the hospital – The neighbors have maintained that they want the hospital to re-design its plans to expand in a manner that is in keeping with the character of the surrounding residential community.

The Huntington Terrace Citizens Association said in statement that Leggett’s recommendation didn’t take into account extended testimony before then-hearing examiner Francoise Carrier, now Planning Board chair. Carrier recommended last year that the hospital re-design its plans to allow for more compatibility with the community. “HTCA supports the mission of Suburban Hospital to provide medical services to the community, but it does not support this current design that closes our main access to and from Old Georgetown Road,” read a statement from the citizens group.

The group says it will ask the County Council to stave off action on the recommendation until the conclusion of its court appeal.

The hospital released a statement Thursday lauding Leggett’s recommendation.

“Suburban Hospital was very pleased that the public hearing officer and County Executive recognize that the significant public benefit resulting from the hospital being able to implement its campus enhancement plan outweighs the inconvenience to some of closing one block of a three-block street where the neighborhood is well served by several other roads,” said Leslie Ford Weber, senior vice president of government and community relations, in the statement.  “The public hearing officer’s report also notes that the neighborhood around the hospital will benefit from the construction of additional sidewalks provided by the hospital, the reduction in cut-through traffic, and improved traffic conditions.”

Read the public hearing officer's report to the right.