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Planned Location of New Open Door Center Draws Criticism

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August 2, 2012

Neighbors of a planned new location for Open Door Medical Center in Sleepy Hollow came out in force once again last month to raise concerns about pedestrian safety and increased congestion in what they consider a residential area.

Open Door is looking to relocate from its existing 5,000-square-foot space on Beekman Avenue to a two-story, 12,000-square-foot building at 1 New Broadway, which it purchased for $2.4 million from funding it received from a $3.8 million grant. Phelps Memorial Hospital Center received the rest of the money as part of a residency program its collaborating with Open Door.

Since September 2011, Open Door has been seeking an exemption from the village’s parking regulations since most of its 4,000 annual patients walk to its current facility. Petitions were submitted to the Planning Board from 560 of those patients stating they would still walk to the new center.

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“Bringing our site to that area won’t increase safety concerns for our patients,” said Kyle McGovern, who was representing Open Door before the Planning Board. “Where we are now we have no parking. This is typical of our sites. We’re in a very dense area. Our patients walk.”

Patients having to cross Route 9 to get to Open Door was a major issue expressed by several residents of Webber Park, including Patrick Munroe, who has lived in the village since 1944.

“That location is extremely dangerous to pedestrians. Pedestrians are at risk there,” Munroe said. “This is serious. The village needs Open Door. If they relocate there, there is a responsibility of the village and the Department of Transportation to clear up those hazardous conditions.”

“Allowing Open Door to open their doors there would be an injustice to us,” said Donna Gates, who resides at 53 New Broadway. “It would not service the community at that location. It just doesn’t belong in a residential area.”

McGovern reminded the board that the site is in a C-1 Highway Commercial Zoning District and the only entrance to the building would be from the Route 9 side, but Webber Park residents remained adamant.

“We are a residential area. My complaint is you’re taking a residential area and making it commercial again,” said Rosemarie McManus, a visiting nurse who has lived at New Broadway for more than 40 years. “There is no room for commercialism on that street any more.”

“This location has a lot of great neighborhoods. Just because we want it to fit doesn’t mean it’s a good use,” said Caroline Hargreaves. “I ask the board to look at the entire picture.”

Keith Safian, president and CEO of Phelps, stressed the importance of the first residency program in Family Medicine in New York State in 15 years that Phelps is teaming up with Open Door. The first class of six residents has already started training and will see outpatients at Open Door.

“19 days ago Phelps became a teaching hospital for the first time in its history,” he said. “Our residency program is committed on the training these physicians will receive at Open Door. To not have that would be a terrible blow to the medical care in this community.”

Planning Board member Hugh Jones said he was impressed with the spirit of cooperation Open Door representatives have shown.

“Open Door is aware of what they want to do is not the optimum spot. If they could have chosen another spot in the village they probably would have jumped on it,” he said, noting Open Door has offered to have a crossing guard.

The Planning Board voted to refer Open Door’s application to the Zoning Board, which will likely discuss it in September. If the Zoning Board grants the exemption, the site plan for the project will return to the Planning Board.

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