Planning is properly underway for a brand new well being facility in Sicamous, BC, after the neighborhood was awarded a $5.9-millin grant for the venture two years in the past.
Officers hope the deliberate Shuswap Therapeutic Middle will assist the neighborhood appeal to extra medical doctors as many residents are presently touring out of city for medical care.
The brand new facility, to be constructed at 200 Fundamental St., is predicted to be the brand new house for the neighborhood’s medical doctors’ places of work and a bunch different medical companies.
Nonetheless, the proposed location is proving controversial with some locals arguing the land earmarked for the Shuswap Therapeutic Middle must be become a park.
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Amongst them is Stephen Seelinger, who says opponents of the placement do not care what the proposal is they don’t wish to see the land developed in any means.
Whereas the land is presently zoned industrial, residents say it’s already getting used as a gathering place.
Resident Fred Beruschi stated he’s “all for a therapeutic middle in Sicamous,” however thinks the choice to place it at 200 Fundamental St. was shortsighted.
“I acknowledge how essential it’s to have inexperienced area. As soon as it’s gone it’s gone. 100 years from now if this [green space] remains to be right here folks will say, ‘Thank goodness they maintained this lovely inexperienced area,’” Bruschi stated.
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Critics of the deliberate location argue the therapeutic middle must be moved again to a different piece of empty land two blocks down the road, the place the District of Sicamous had beforehand deliberate to place it, or to a different spot.
“We now have a medical middle on the subsequent road over. I am undecided why they don’t seem to be contemplating that piece of property which is a really huge piece of property and the constructing could be very, very previous,” stated resident Mary Laurila.
Nonetheless, the district says neither different web site is smart.
Officers say the land within the 400 block of Fundamental Avenue is earmarked for badly-needed housing and there is not area for the therapeutic middle and the district believes it would not make monetary sense to tear down the present medical constructing which additionally homes different tenants.
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Councilor Malcolm Makayev stated the present medical constructing nonetheless has helpful life left in it and might be repurposed as soon as the medical doctors’ places of work are moved.
If the location is developed as a well being facility, the general public area at 200 Fundamental St. will not be fully eradicated. The district additionally plans to maintain barely greater than half an acre of the location as inexperienced area.
“Will probably be nicer than it’s now. This can be a excellent news story. We’re saving some inexperienced area. We’re rising the capability of our local people well being middle by threefold and we’re additionally bringing psychological well being into our neighborhood,” Makayev stated.
“[The healing centre] additionally helps recruit medical doctors and retain medical doctors. When different communities’ well being facilities are closing we’re combating laborious to maintain well being care in our neighborhood.”
Groundbreaking for the venture is predicted to be held this spring.
In the mean time, these against the placement are planning a rally subsequent week.
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