By Kathianne Boniello
In the seemingly never-ending battle between two Bayside civic associations and St. Mary’s Hospital, the community has been given the chance to make a 10-minute presentation to the children’s hospital’s board in December.
The approval of the presentation was announced at last Thursday’s regular meeting between the East Bayside Homeowners Association, the John Golden Park Civic Association and representatives of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside.
Civic leaders Frank Skala, president of the EBHA, and Dr. Blanche Felton of the JGPCA had requested the opportunity to give separate five-minute presentations to the hospital’s board months ago, Skala said. Both civic leaders were grateful their request had been granted. The next board meeting is in December.
St. Mary’s Hospital for Children is a non-profit, long-term and rehabilitation facility that has 97 beds and treats children with a wide range of medical disorders. The hospital at 29-01 216th St. moved to Bayside from the West Side of Manhattan in 1951.
Bayside civic leaders and neighbors have been fighting the hospital for several years on quality-of-life issues. Residents have cited crowded parking on neighborhood streets, speeding cars and drainage of the St. Mary’s property as problems.
While the dialogue between the hospital and the community has been strained over the years, last week’s meeting revealed some progress when St. Mary’s board member and TimesLedger Publisher Steve Blank gave Skala and Felton the OK for their presentations.
“The presentations have been approved by the board,” Blank told them. “You will each have five minutes — uninterrupted.”
Given the community view that the hospital has been uninterested in their concerns in the past, Skala and Felton said the opportunity to address the board was important.
The hospital also said the relocation of its Homecare Program to a site in New Hyde Park and a separate location on Francis Lewis Boulevard has been partially stalled by the lack of state Health Department approvals.
St. Mary’s has been working to relocate the Homecare Program as a way to reduce the number of cars going in and out of the hospital.
Dr. Edwin Simpser, senior executive vice president of operations and medical affairs, said so far about 50 employees have been moved to New Hyde Park.
Simpser said since the moving effort began, the hospital has been monitoring the on-street parking of its employees and seen a decline in the number of St. Mary’s employees who park on the streets.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
