The Planning Board held a public hearing on May 1 for a formal review of a site plan and conditional use permit to construct an approximately 89,000 square foot behavioral health hospital, along with associated site improvements for the property located at 6 and 10 Innovation Way.
It was explained by Attorney, Ari Pollack, that there is a purchase agreement in place for the land to be purchased in order to build a behavioral hospital in a partnership between Acadia Health and Solution Health.
During the meeting, Deputy Health and Human Services Commissioner, Morissa Henn, spoke about the importance of the proposed facility.
“We as a state and as a society are facing huge challenges when it comes to mental health,” she said.
Henn explained that there are a number of people who suffer from mental health issues saying one in four people are living with someone who has a mental health issue.
One of the biggest issues she pointed to in NH is the lack of beds available for those in need of help, causing many people to end up in emergency rooms, waiting for a bed to open up elsewhere.
“It is truly one of a person’s darkest days,” Henn said.
Henn said the state has endorsed the project and has agreed to put $15 million up for the project, saying they think it will help reach the goal of having “no adult waiting in an emergency department for care.”
One question raised was how it would be different from Hampstead Hospital, which has been in the news often in recent months.
Henn explained that it’s a “new venture for the state” with Hampstead Hospital, and explained that when she has questions about how to improve the facility, she often asks the people who are looking to build the one in Londonderry, noting that they have a lot of experience.
Pollack explained during the meeting that the “Town Council recently approved a zoning amendment,” which would allow a hospital to be allowed in the Gateway Business District.
He said some of the main reasons why the location makes sense is because of its close proximity to the highway, along with it not being in a residential area.
Unlike other kinds of hospitals, Pollack said they wouldn’t have an emergency department, sirens, or things of that nature, and instead patients would be transported there on orders, and by private transportation.
“No one just shows up at the door unannounced,” Pollack said.
He said anyone who is discharged leaves with a plan for continued care.
In total, the proposal is to have 144 beds, with the potential for future expansion of up to 192 beds.
Pollack said they are going to have a condition that they have to reach an agreement with the town specifically to address concerns raised by the Police Department, through the form of a memorandum of understanding.
“This condition is something we are very aware of,” Pollack said.
Town Councilor, John Farrell, explained that the MOU is being negotiated by the Town Council and its legal counsel, in consultation with the police and fire department, saying they wouldn’t be moving forward with the MOU without their blessing.
Police Chief, Kim Bernard, said his leadership team have been discussing it, since the Town Council agreed to make an amendment to the zoning, to allow the hospital use there.
“We’ve been working on them, we have plans in place for those impacts,” he said.
So far he said they have had “great dialogue.”
“We’re on it, we’re working on it as a team, and I don’t see any issues with it at this moment,” Bernard.
Division Chief of Fire Prevention, Brian Johnson, said they have also had meetings, and have been very easy to work with saying “any concern that we have had has been addressed very quickly.”
He said based on their research, the average amount of calls is two per month for similar size facilities.
The Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan, with conditions including a MOU being agreed on between the town and the applicant.