Council Committee Recommends Lincoln Street Abandonment For Hospital Expansion

A Montgomery County Council committee Monday recommended abandoning one block of Lincoln street, a move Suburban Hospital maintains is necessary for it $230 million project that would add a 300,000 square foot addition on to the hospital along with a nearly 1200-space, 35-foot-tall garage.

The block abandonment, along with the removal of 10 neighborhood homes the hospital owns, has become a major contention point between the hospital and the surrounding neighborhood.  

“The recommendation recognizes that the one block of Lincoln Street is predominantly used by the hospital and is not necessary for current or anticipated public use,” read a hospital statement. “Further, the recommendation acknowledges that there are many alternate routes in the neighborhood that can absorb the traffic.  And finally, the recommendation recognizes that the abandonment is necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents near the neighborhood.  

The Gazette reported that members of the Huntington Terrace Citizens Association asked members of the council's Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee to require the hospital to meet with the community about the expansion in their action. While the councilmembers encouraged communication between the hospital and the neighborhood, they didn’t mandate further meetings, according to the Gazette.

The full council is expected to take action on the block abandonment Tuesday.

The Huntington Terrace Citizens Association also announced this week that they will appeal the of a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge that upheld the county Board of Appeals decision allowing the hospital to expand. The group will appeal the decision again to the Court of Special Appeals.

“We want the hospital to achieve its expansion objectives in a way that is consistent with the safety of our residents, the stability of our community and the residential character of our neighborhood,” wrote Huntington Terrace board member Bob Deans in an email to Patch. “Unfortunately, the hospital's current expansion plan falls short of that goal.”

More information about the block abandonment is available in a council staff report.