Stafford County supervisors last night approved changes to MediCorp's conditional use permit and zoning ordinance that will allow the Stafford Hospital Center to open ahead of schedule in February.
The original permits required Hospital Center Boulevard to be completed from U.S. 1 to Courthouse Road before occupancy permits could be granted to the hospital.
When the hospital opens in February, the only working entrance will intersect with U.S. 1. MediCorp made a verbal commitment to have the four-lane road completed and open to Courthouse Road this April.
Under normal circumstances, an applicant would be required to pay a fee to change permits. In this case, the fee amounted to approximately $21,000. However, the county acted as applicant in this instance, negating the fee requirement.
Members of the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors expressed a desire to have MediCorp reimburse the county for the fee, which they agreed to do at the Planning Commission level.
"This is not a hardship case," Supervisor George Schwartz said.
Due to the structure of the agreement, board members could not require MediCorp to pay the fee, but their final resolution included language that asked MediCorp to consider donating the fee rather than giving it to the county. Supervisor Cord Sterling suggested MediCorp use the fee amount to create a scholarship for county high school students who wish to pursue a nursing degree.
"It is important to do things that will lead our citizens to pursue good jobs," Sterling said. "It's more of a benefit to the citizens of Stafford."
The measure passed 4-3, with George Schwartz, Bob Woodson and Harry Crisp dissenting.
Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com