Albany City Commission reverses Historic Preservation Commission decision on Phoebe/Albany Tech project

Aug. 20—ALBANY — A deadline set unanimously Wednesday by the Albany City Commission for the city's Historic Preservation Commission to sign off on Certificates of Approval that would allow Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital to move forward with construction of a planned joint "Living and Learning Community" with Albany Technical College passed with no action Friday, negating a ruling by the preservation commission and allowing Phoebe to move forward with the $40 million project.

The Historic Preservation Commission, an appointed board that, among other duties, makes recommendations to the city and county on issues that arise in the city's historic district, had voted 4-3 to deny Phoebe five Certificates of Approval that would have allowed the hospital to build a nursing education facility that would give Albany Tech the capacity to train nurses in a facility that would allow access to instruction at the adjacent hospital. The facility, Phoebe and Albany Tech officials said, would address the severe nursing shortage at Phoebe and, indeed, across the nation.

The HPC instead wanted Phoebe to, essentially, restore the property that, at times served as Albany High School and Albany Middle School, to its former appearance, a procedure that Phoebe officials said would not allow for 80 residential apartments at the facility and would more than double the projected cost of the facility.

"I appreciate the fact that some members of the Historic Preservation Commission, while acknowledging the significance of this property, understood how our proposed project would positively impact this community," Phoebe Putney Health System President and CEO Scott Steiner said. "It strikes me as surreal, though, that there was opposition to this significant investment by two of the community's longest-serving organizations.

"I can't help but think back to a comment made by (Planning Services Director) Paul Forgey (who recommended opposing the Phoebe/Albany Tech project). He said 'The land that a property sits on has as much historic value of the structures that may have been built on it.' Yet members of the HPC said they didn't care what's on the property as long as we keep that (Albany High/Middle) structure."

Steiner said the Phoebe/Albany Tech project would "allow for education to continue on the property for another 100 years." Steiner said he was surprised that the Historic Preservation Commission members didn't see the impracticality of rebuilding a 100-year-old structure to standards that are no longer viable.

"I don't get surprised easily, but this logic was surprising," the health care CEO said. "This is a wooden building that was built in 1920 to 1920 standards."

In a ruling signed by Albany City Attorney Nathan Davis and Mayor Bo Dorough following a called meeting of the commission, the city said the HPC had "abused its discretion" in denying Phoebe the Certificates of Approval.

A document sent to the HPC read, in part: "(T)he city finds that the proposed material change (to the property) would not have substantial adverse effects on the aesthetic, historic or architectural significance and value of the historic property or the historic district." Noting also that the "HPC did not supply particulars to support its decision," the document said, "We conclude that the HPC abused its discretion. The judgment of HPC is reversed, and this matter is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this decision, to wit: HPC is to issue the five COAs by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 in view of the gravity of the situation. If HPC fails to do so, PPMH and the (Albany-Dougherty) Hospital Authority are entitled to make whole relief. Thus, this decision will then stand as issuance of the five COAs."

Davis said Friday the HPC had no legal standing in members' threat to take the city to court for overturning the commission's decision.

"(After 5 p.m. on Friday), Phoebe can proceed immediately with all the things it must do to move forward the project," Davis said. "(The HPC) had nothing in their minutes that would lead to their conclusion, no facts, no legal basis. And the (city) statute says they must provide such reasons for their decisions. There's just no legal standing for what they tried to do."

Steiner, said the Living and Learning Community would immediately impact the nursing shortage at Phoebe and also lead to economic development in the area around the hospital.

"Phoebe today has 500 open positions," he said. "Three hundred of those are nurses. It's a crisis for sure. The center is expected to allow Albany Tech to increase its number of nursing graduates from a projected 233 this year to 350 next year and 470 in 2024.

"What box doesn't this (project) tick off? You've got new development along Jefferson, which is a short distance from downtown. You've got classes of 200, most of whom will want to live here. They'll have jobs that pay them $70,000, so they're going to have money to spend on food, haircuts, clothing, housing."

Steiner said Boyd Brothers Construction has applied for demolition permits, and that the company — and Phoebe — has begun the process of filling out all state and locally required paperwork. He said he expects all paperwork to be in order and work to start either "at the end of next week or the first of the following week."

"If you look up the word 'historic,' it's more than something just being old," he said. "Is a tree 'historic' because its 30 or 40 or 50 years old?

"It's sad that some of these keyboard warriors who always oppose Phoebe have tried to intimidate members of the HPC and city officials in this matter. It shows we really need to come together as a community if we want to see progress."