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Friday, November 10, 2023
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STORMONT VAIL HEALTH ‘EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED’ AFTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SUPPORT UPDATED ZONING REGS By Ryann Brooks and Shayla Gaulding The Emporia Gazette
Stormont Vail Health is ramping up its opposition to a proposal to amend zoning regulations following a meeting of the Lyon County Commission Thursday morning, where commissioners expressed support for the measure. The proposed changes, which were introduced by Newman Regional Health as a way to “preserve” the role the hospital plays in Emporia and Lyon County, primarily aim to adjust Permitted and Conditional Uses within Commercial and Public/Civic Parcel Types with the addition of nine new categories for medical facility-specific uses while eliminating “Hospital” as a specific use within the zoning laws. The proposed amendments also emphasize the significance of conditional use permits for specific non-community hospital health facilities, outlining stringent regulations for their operation and establishment. At its meeting Thursday morning, the Lyon County Commission approved signing a letter of support for the zoning text changes. County Counselor Molly Priest said the letter of support comes
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Stormont Vail Health’s Cotton O’Neil Clinic operates out of space attached to Newman Regional Health.
before the City of Emporia Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Municipal Courtroom to consider the text changes proposed by Newman Regional Health to make changes to zoning requirements for medical facilities. “The difference would be that any medical facility coming in — and it does give a specific definition of medical facilities — would have to apply for a conditional use permit, which they do currently,” Priest said. “The extra steps that this puts in, they have to show the services that they are going to provide whether those are duplicative
of services already provided in the community, so that the city has that local control over medical services provided in the community and the potential effect that that might have on services that are already provided.” “It does not deny any new medical facility development, it is just an extra step to have some local control over potential effects from new developments and effects on current operations for the county-owned hospital,” she added. If the measure leaves the City Planning Commission, it would go to the Emporia City Commission
for action. Commission chair Rollie Martin said the ultimate responsibility for the hospital lands on the county commission. “The success of our hospital needs to be supported by the county commissioners. First of all, we need a good, quality community hospital. Secondly, it provides quality of life services for the area, the county and the city of Emporia, so I am in support of signing this letter of support,” Martin said. Newman Regional Health Board of Trustees member Luke Arndt thanked the commissioners for their support. “As always, we are open to collaboration and always have been open to collaboration when it warrants it and it makes sense for us and drives our mission, absolutely,” Arndt said. “We are not trying to block out competition. We are not trying to do that. We are just trying to make sure that we take care of our community and our largest community asset into the future. Not just now, but for decades down the road.” In a letter sent to The Gazette after the meeting, Stormont Vail Health said it was “extremely disappointed” with the action. “Cotton O’Neil Clinic has operated in Emporia for nearly 30
years, supporting and collaborating with Newman Regional, with all of the Cotton O’Neil providers serving on its medical staff and being the largest tenant in its facility,” said Communications Supervisor MollyPatt Eyestone. Eyestone said Stormont Vail Health was considering a $30 million investment in the community, making the commission’s support of the proposed regulations shortsighted. “Stormont Vail is opposed to the proposed text changes to the zoning regulations,” she said. “The organization notes that recently the Commission essentially rewrote the zoning regulations and implemented the new version in September 2023. For the proposed text changes to surface at this time as Stormont Vail considers further investing in the community and enhancing healthcare, demonstrates an air of special accommodation and favoritism versus truly promoting the community’s needs, especially as the proposed changes will have the effect of impeding, curtailing and stagnating the availability, advancement and enhancement of healthcare and hospital services for the citizens of Emporia and the surrounding area.” Please see Zoning, Page 5
Emporia native excited for Veterans Day COMMISSION APPROVES concert with 35th Infantry Division Band LETTER OF
SUPPORT FOR NRH IN ZONING TEXT CHANGES PUSH By Shayla Gaulding shayla@emporia.com
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Sfc. Andrea Gilligan-Sladky is excited to return to Emporia with the 35th Infantry Division Band Saturday for a special Veterans Day concert. By Ryann Brooks
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brooks@emporia.com
The 35th Infantry Division Band will make history this weekend at its debut appearance at Emporia’s Veterans Day celebration. The free concert is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Emporia State University’s Albert Taylor Hall. “As a military musician and a military band, we really do try to
perform on or as close to Veterans Day every year because it is such an important holiday to honor our veterans,” said band spokesperson and Emporia native Sfc. Andrea Gilligan-Sladky. “We have a concert that is specifically designed to celebrate our country and honor those veterans that are serving and have served our country.”
Sladky said that while the band has played in Emporia before, they have never had the chance to play in Emporia on Veterans Day. As an Emporia native, the chance to play in the Founding City of Veterans Day is incredibly special. And Sladky
isn’t the only Emporia native in the 35-piece band. “I went to Emporia High and went to Emporia State to get both my bachelors and master’s degree Please see Concert, Page 5
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The 35th Infantry Division Band will perform in Emporia on Saturday.
The Lyon County Commission approved a letter of support for Newman Regional Health, after the hospital recently asked the City of Emporia to implement zoning text changes for medical facilities. County Counselor Molly Priest said the letter of support, which would add additional steps to safeguard current medical service offerings in the county, comes before the City of Emporia Planning Commission meets at 6 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the Municipal Courtroom to consider the text changes. If the measure leaves the City Planning Commission, it would go to the Emporia City Commission for action. Commission chair Rollie Martin said the ultimate responsibility for the hospital lands on the county commission. “The success of our hospital needs to be supported by the county commissioners. First of all, we need a good, quality community hospital. Secondly, it provides quality of life services for the area, the county and the city of Emporia, so I am in support of signing this letter of support,” Martin said. Check The Emporia Gazette’s Friday print and online edition for more information. Please see County, Page 5