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'H' (hospital) zone ordinance passed
(by Megan Burrow - May 28, 2008)
An ordinance amending the zoning regulations in the “H” zone (hospital zone) passed by unanimous vote at the May 20 council meeting.
The ordinance paves the way for Touro University College of Medicine (TouroMed) to open a medical school on the site of the former
Pascack
Valley
Hospital , and allows for a multi-level parking garage and a child care center on the premises.
The site will house a full-service hospital owned and operated by Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), which plans to reopen an emergency room in approximately six months. Complete acute care and nonpatient services are expected to be operational in less than three years.
TouroMed, a four-year medical school, is currently awaiting accreditation and plans to welcome its first class of students in August 2009. If there is a delay in accreditation, the opening date will be in August 2010. TouroMed’s first incoming class will be comprised of 40 students.
Several residents in attendance spoke of their concerns for the site, raising issues such as where the students will live and what the parking garage will look like. The council assured residents they will be able to voice their concerns to the council and during future planning board meetings as the details of the plan for the site become more increasingly clear.
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