- Hospital for Special Surgery. Image Coutesy of hss.edu.
Hospital for Special Surgery agrees to address traffic concerns and develop surrounding open space once construction is complete. On October 7, 2008, the City Council approved the Hospital for Special Surgery’s plan to expand over the FDR Drive. 5 CityLand133 (Oct. 15, 2008). At Council’s public hearing before the Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee, Council Member Jessica Lappin detailed the concessions that the Hospital had agreed to, and asked her colleagues to support the project.
In exchange for the Council’s support, the Hospital agreed to plant vegetation on the west side of the esplanade between East 71st and 73rd Streets, plant trees along the east side of the esplanade between East 71st and 73rd Streets, and repair fencing on the west side of the esplanade between East 70th and 78th Streets. In addressing the community’s concerns over traffic congestion, the Hospital agreed to hire a traffic/security guard to maintain positive traffic flow, shift 15 percent of deliveries from East 71st Street to a loading zone along East 70th Street, and build a storage facility where deliveries can be off-loaded and later distributed throughout the hospital.
Council Member Jessica Lappin acknowledged that residents of the Edgewater were still opposed to the project, and was “mindful of their concerns” regarding traffic and obstructed views. Nevertheless, Lappin believed that the benefits of the project outweighed the potential negative impact on Edgewater residents. The Subcommittee approved the application, as did the Land Use Committee and full Council.
Council: Hospital for Special Surgery (October 7, 2008).