Few speak out on new hospital

VALPARAISO | Only a few neighboring residents showed up Wednesday evening as the Porter County Board of Zoning Appeals began work on a lengthy list of variances sought for the new Porter hospital at the northwest corner of Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.

But the types of concerns that led to property owners waging an unsuccessful legal battle against the project were very much present.

BZA member Marvin Brickner mentioned the concerns when he challenged the hospital's request to nearly double the height of directional signs to 6 feet.

He suggested reducing the height to 52 inches, in addition to questioning how the signs will be lit.

"People want to maintain some sense of tranquility out there," he said.

Attorney William Ferngren, representing Porter hospital, said the four signs in question need to be 6 feet tall to be seen by motorists. He also said the signs will be lit internally, as opposed to having a light shine on them.

Brickner wound up joining a 4-0 unanimous vote granting the height and other sign variances.

The people who spoke out during Wednesday's special BZA meeting were told the overall plans for the new hospital will be taken up at a later date by the county Plan Commission before final approval is given for the project.

Hospital officials hope to break ground this spring on the new five-story hospital with 261 private rooms. The 104-acre site also will feature an 80,000- to 100,000-square-foot medical office building.

The hospital also was granted a variance Wednesday to allow it to bypass a requirement to construct a 5-foot-wide ledge with a gradual slope around a lake on site or build a protective fence.

Ferngren said the ledge work would require draining and refilling the lake, and the fence would require trees being removed. The lake already has a gradual slope, he said, and is located in a non-public area of the site.

BZA member Richard Burns asked whether the hospital could monitor the lake with cameras.

Ferngren said a security officer will be patrolling the site and the hospital never shuts down.

"There will be people there around the clock, all year long," he said.

The BZA urged the hospital to protect the quality of the lake, which reportedly contains rainbow trout.