Residents living in the Hunnewell Road area are concerned about a Hospice of Southern Maine proposal to build a 16-bed in-patient hospice facility in their neighborhood.
While neighbors say they support the mission of hospice and the service it provides, they are concerned about the effect the construction of the 16,000-square-foot facility will have on the neighborhood.
“It’s a great project, but it shouldn’t be right in the middle of a single-family neighborhood,” said Bill Bamford, who is an abutter to the project, which is proposed to be built on a 4.7-acre parcel donated earlier this year by Scarborough resident Agnes Desfosses.
Some neighbors feel the facility more resembles a business than a home and will destroy the area’s neighborhood feeling. Hunnewell Road resident Doug Taylor is concerned that the traffic generated by people visiting patients, employees, and general business will increase the already high traffic volume in the area.
“You add those up and you could have 150 to 200 vehicles out there every day,” Taylor said.
Others are worried that the facility may hurt the social fabric of the area and do not like the idea of a hospice facility moving into the neighborhood.
“I think I will have a very hard time being publicly enthusiastic about a holding house for the dying,” wrote Margaret Foshay in a letter to the Town Council. “There is no amount of flowers or flowery language that will make me want to welcome death in my neighborhood.”
One neighbor who has not made a decision on the hospice is Kevin Frederick, who is an abutter to the proposed site. Frederick said he has to hear more about the proposal before developing any definite feelings on the project.
His main concerns are how large the facility will be and what could be done with it if the hospice ever leaves. He also is concerned about its effect on his property value.
“I am open to the suggestion,” he said. “I’m not for it or against it.”
To help develop a better understanding with the neighborhood, Hospice of Southern Maine has held two community meetings and will continue to host them during the planning process.
At the meetings the philosophy of hospice was discussed along with the proposed project, which will be the first in-patient hospice facility in Southern Maine.
At the last meeting traffic was a major concern, said Dr. Katherine Pope, chairman of the Hospice of Southern Maine Board of Directors. She said there would be some traffic associated with the facility during shift changes and people visiting patients, although Pope believes most visits will occur at night.
However, there are other uses allowed under the zoning ordinance that could create as much or even more traffic than the hospice facility, Pope said. For example, there could be as many as seven homes on the lot, which would create more traffic, as would a school or a church.
In terms of the actual building, Pope said every effort is being made to create a facility that looks like a residential home and will blend in with the existing neighborhood. The building will be one story and will have a New England look. Also, there will be buffering around the facility.
“We’ll certainly do everything we can to make this a residential looking building,” Pope said.
Pope said Hospice of Southern Maine is not a business, but a non-profit agency helping people during their last days of life while providing support for families.
“Hospice care is focusing on quality of life,” Pope said.
The town’s ordinances currently do not allow the construction of hospices. The Town Council is now considering an amendment to the zoning ordinances that would establish performance standards. These standards will allow the construction of hospice facilities with the approval of the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The standards under consideration require the hospice facility be located in a residential district. They also require the minimum lot size be four times the required minimum lot area for the zoning district except in the Rural Residence and Farming District, where a minimum of five acres is required.
The standards also stipulate that the building’s height may not exceed 35 feet, although it may be up to three stories. The facility must conform to minimum yard setbacks for the zoning district, but the appeals board may require greater setbacks.
Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Messer said he has not received any negative comment on the issue. He said that he would not let his decision be swayed by emotion and is currently leaning toward voting in favor of the zoning changes.
“If that’s the best land that hospice has found then maybe that’s the best location for them,” Messer said.
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