*Updated, 11:45 p.m.
Scranton City Council voted 3-2 to approve Geisinger's zoning change after a more than two-hour-long public hearing, followed by a city council meeting.
The vote comes after residents of the city's Hill Section expressed frustration over what they said is a rushed vote on the zoning ordinance. Geisinger representatives said the change will bring the hospital a much-needed expansion.
Residents said they wanted the council to vote "no" to give the hospital more time to compromise with residents.
An injunction to stop the vote filed earlier today by a resident represented by attorney Edmund Scacchitti was denied by Judge James Gibbons, according to councilmember Gerald Smurl.
Geisinger’s zoning amendment
The amendment will allow the hospital system to build a five-story annex on Colfax Avenue by changing its zoning from institutional to civic. Geisinger also plans to build a new parking garage next to the annex.
Geisinger said a bridge over Mulberry Street would connect the current hospital to the 75-foot annex. The new building would include inpatient beds, suites for medical procedures and potentially more outpatient clinic space.
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is in favor of the zoning changes.
“I do believe as a city, it is absolutely imperative that we give Geisinger what they need on the land that they already own, in a place that has been a hospital center for 120 years, longer than any of us has been alive, so that we make sure that we are good stewards of health care and our economic development and our strength as a city for the next 120,” Cognetti said during the public hearing.
State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski also supported the amendment. She said supporting Geisinger’s expansion is important at a time when the future of Scranton’s healthcare is uncertain.
“I'm hopeful that Tenor Health does survive with Regional and they have a successful outcome, but if it does not, we must make sure that we support Geisinger, because they're going to have to take care of that entire volume of patients that seek care at Regional on at Geisinger, CMC. So I'm hopeful that we have an outcome tonight that is positive, and we support the expansion,” Kosierowski said.
Tenor Health Foundation is currently set to purchase Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after more than a year of searching for a new buyer for the three hospitals.
Geisinger staff said the zoning amendment will allow for a much-needed expansion.
Julie Byerley serves as president of Geisinger College of Health Sciences and dean of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She also said during the public hearing that she is a resident of the Hill Section.
“We've graduated more than 1000 physicians already from our medical school to get them to stay here in Scranton, to serve our people and to have the appointments and care available for those of us who need that care, we have to have modern, high quality facilities to attract those health professionals,” Byerley said.
Residents express frustration over Geisinger zoning vote
The public hearing before the council meeting lasted nearly two hours. While local officials and Geisinger staff supported the amendment, residents of the city’s Hill Section used their time to express their concerns.
Many of the residents urged the council to vote "no"on the amendment to give the health system more time to reach a compromise with those living in the neighborhood.
“Why is this meeting rushed? What about giving it time to come up with a community benefit agreement,” said Laura Agostini, president of the Greenridge Neighborhood Association. “Right now, we can’t hold Geisinger to anything. Geisinger is asking the residents of the Hill Section to trust them, but they haven’t done anything to get that trust.
Concerned residents said Geisinger should be able to come up with alternate expansion plans that don’t involve moving into residential neighborhoods.
“None of us is opposed to healthcare improvements,” said Agostini. “We just want to maintain the character of the neighborhood and maintain the integrity of the zoning ordinance.”
Agostini, and other residents who spoke against the zoning ordinance, left the podium to applause.
The vote on Geisinger’s zoning ordinance
Councilmembers William King, Gerald Smurl and Dr. Jessica Rothchild voted to approve the zoning ordinance.
“I am trying to balance the healthcare needs for our city, along with the neighbors’ quality of life. We've been asked tonight to consider the need for residents and their health and safety are the highest needs that I can think of,” Rothschild said. “I've also been asked to go with my gut, which was, is what I'll be doing right as I always have done, and my gut telling me that if I vote no on this, and this fails to pass, our city will be at a major loss, and our health care will freely suffer. I cannot have that. I'll be voting yes.”
Members Tom Schuster and Mark McAndrew voted against the amendment.
“I'm going to be voting no on this tonight. If we vote no, the hospital still has another day to bring a plan. They still have another day to expand. You still have another day to expand if we vote yes on this tonight, it's over for what the neighborhood wants in terms of a seat at the table in compromise. And that's what they're asking for, is a seat at the table in compromise,” Schuster said.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
