>The proposed Valley expansion will happen over the course of at least 10 years, regardless of neighborhood opposition. Any expansion of this great magnitude takes years — in the planning stages alone, before ground is even broken (do you really think they “could be almost finished with the job” now? Ridiculous! Have you even read about Phase I, and Phase II? Have you read about the proposal at all?)
If you were up on the facts, 7:33, you would also know that the proposal does not include the addition of beds — in fact, there is talk now of reducing the amount of beds, while INCREASING the number of parking spaces by 400. What kind of sense does that make? Not every patient in the hospital is there as a result of an emergency. So, here’s one of many possible alternatives: build a great Emergency department, and build off-site facilities to house non-emergency cases. I certainly wouldn’t mind driving for two more minutes to get to an off-site Breast Center.
Valley has run out of space — it’s a simple matter of physics. The hospital needs to develop off-site facilities nearby, similar to the one near the Fashion Center. (Can anyone honestly say that a drive to the Fashion Center is inconvenient? And who says that a hospital has to be within walking distance to be state-of-the-art? If you are truly sick, you won’t be doing a lot of walking anyway!)
Valley needs to compromise significantly. Our excellent and convenient healthcare will not disappear as a result. But our suburban way of life here in Ridgewood WILL disappear if Valley is allowed to proceed without limit.
