JAMESTOWN – The City of Jamestown’s Zoning Board of Appeals has given its approval to a height and setback variance for the UPMC Chautauqua WCA’s expansion project.
Officials from the hospital and a representative from the architecture firm hired to assist with the project spoke during the hearing prior to the zoning board vote on Wednesday.
According to the Post-Journal, no one from the public spoke at the hearing or submitted a response to city officials.
WCA wants to construct a new ambulance entrance and an approximate 8,000 square foot addition as additional stories to the present ambulance/emergency room area for maternity and mental health services. The project will sit 20-feet from the hospital’s property line and will have a maximum height of 55-feet. Current city zoning law states that the minimum front yard setback is 25-feet and the maximum building height is 35-feet. As a result, a zoning variance was required.
The expansion project is estimated to cost $23 million, with much of the cost covered by state grants. WCA officials are still waiting for state approvals for financing the project.
According to WCA officials, the expansion will free-up space at the Jones Memorial Health Center at 51 Glasgow Ave. in order to provide room for the construction of a 20-bed, long-term residential chemical dependency treatment program in Jamestown. The program can treat patients for up to a year and is designed for individuals suffering from severe and chronic drug addiction.
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