On Tuesday the 28th of January, at 6 pm in the Community Room of the Library, the Northfield Selectmen will be accepting public input on the proposed amendment to the Zoning Bylaw which affects the old ski hill.

On January 23rd, the Northfield News published an editorial by John Cruickshank regarding the proposed new Green Mountain Clinic. The editorial was (in part) a response to the first hearing on the zoning change. I’m replying here on FPF, as there is not another issue of the Northfield News before Tuesday’s hearing.

Contrary to the portrayal in the paper, many voices were heard on January 13th. I’m disappointed Mr. Cruickshank’s primary focus was just on my own comments, as I firmly believe the widest discussion of this issue would serve the community best. At the last meeting, the need for more two way communication between the Town and the public was spoken to by several people.

The minutes of the first hearing on rezoning are available here:
http://www.northfield-vt.gov/text/Meeting%20Minutes/2014/Joint_Board_Minutes_011314.pdf

Notwithstanding the fact that the idea of a medical facility in Northfield is, in the abstract, an idea with merit, this specific proposal, its siting, and the town's handling of this application have been flawed.

Mr. Cruickshank seems confounded by my opposition to this proposal. I would posit that the presence of people who speak out to issues are a critical component of democracy. Parties to a change such as this have every right and obligation to speak to their needs. I support the idea of a new clinic, but other locations can and should be considered.

While everyone involved in this process has been good to deal with, the process itself has been flawed, and falls well short of the potential to do better for the whole community.

I’m left with a number of questions:

The Planning Commission has previously taken public input, and on this Tuesday the Selectboard will be meeting to hear public input, but how are we to know what they think and have to say about the zoning change?

How much might Northfield’s tax rolls gain from this project? The prospect of new revenue looks like it is the driving force behind this change.

Will the new clinic actually serve the Norwich students, or will they continue to be cared for in the old building? If the latter, then why must the proposed facility be close to campus? This medical facility could be located elsewhere in town and still yield the same health-care benefits to the community and the same tax benefits to the town.

The more town officials talk about this proposal, the more it seems the idea has been bandied about for several years, so why no communication with the public at large or with abutters until the site plan was presented to the Planning Commission in May of last year?

Is it true that a health facility "Certificate of Need" would be required for this project, except that savings generated by leasing the land (rather than the hospital buying land ) could keep the proposal under the dollar limit to trigger that permitting process? Would the community benefit from such a permitting process?