A positive decision by the Saratoga County Planning Board represents an important step forward for Saratoga Hospital’s plans to develop medical offices in close proximity to the its main campus, hospital officials said.
At a meeting in April, the board approved a change intended to align the zoning map with the city’s comprehensive plan. That would lead to a zoning change to allow for construction of medical offices on Morgan Street.
In 2015, the City Council unanimously approved a comprehensive plan that included an “institutional” designation for the Morgan Street property.
For Saratoga Hospital’s plans to continue to advance, the updated zoning map must also be reviewed by the city Planning Board and then approved by the City Council.
The Morgan Street property is the last parcel within walking distance of the hospital campus. With medical offices on that site, the hospital would bring Saratoga Hospital Medical Group physicians from offices throughout the city to a single location, where they could more effectively collaborate on patient care, hospital officials said.
“Saratoga County is fortunate to have a planning board whose commitment is to the Saratoga region as a whole,” Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo Calbone said. “One of the many reasons our county is among the fastest-growing in the state is that we can count on our planning board to consistently make decisions based on the long-term public good, especially regarding healthcare.”
“Patient care has become increasingly multidisciplinary,” said Dr. Richard Falivena, chief medical and physician integration officer at Saratoga Hospital. “When a patient has cancer, for example, it’s not unusual for their care to involve a multidisciplinary team of specialists in oncology, surgery and interventional radiology. Depending on the type of cancer, the team could also include specialists in cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology and more. The new medical office building would facilitate consultation and collaboration—and that can make a difference on care and outcomes.”
Dates for the Planning Board and City Council votes have not been set.
“We look forward to the city’s continued effort to bring its zoning into compliance with the comprehensive plan, to the resulting rezoning of the property on Morgan Street and, even more, to the opportunity to present a project that benefits the broader Saratoga community,” Calbone said. “We firmly believe that enhancing patient care is the best possible use of that property.
“The medical office building would be the latest in a long line of investments in our community. We believe it is essential to the long-term health of Saratoga Hospital and those we are proud to serve.”
Matthew Jones, of Jones Stevens Attorneys at Law, represented the hospital.
