Phoebe's Steiner: Delays on approving project could cost taxpayers tens of thousands, Phoebe millions

Sep. 7—ALBANY — The president/CEO of Phoebe Putney Health System said Wednesday inaction by the Albany-Dougherty County Historic Preservation Commission and a massive backload of cases in Dougherty Superior Court could end up costing Albany taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and the health system several million dollars.

Phoebe's Scott Steiner said that while the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission canceled a scheduled September meeting that would have involved recently appointed members of that board, pushing possible action on the HPC's refusal to approve Certificates of Appropriateness that were unilaterally approved by the Albany City Commission ahead to October, the backlog of cases in Superior Court left needed action in limbo.

"Here's what's happening: We're working with the city to try and expedite this matter, and since the HPC involved the Hospital Authority of Albany-Dougherty County, Phoebe's getting an attorney, the Hospital Authority is getting an attorney and the city is getting an attorney," Steiner said. "That's going to cost taxpayers $10-, $20-, $30-, $40-, $50,000 or more.

"Meanwhile, with the cost of construction going up rapidly and the more we're having to spend to pay (traveling) nurses' salaries, you're looking at (the possibility of pushing the project ahead six months) costs that could reach $1 million, $10 million, $20 million. And I wouldn't be surprised if that total was on the high end."

In order for Phoebe to finish work on the proposed Living and Learning Community by the target date of fall 2024, work would need to begin no later than mid-September, Steiner said. The projected $40 million project is a joint project through which Albany Technical College would train nurses at a facility that would include apartments for on-campus living and classrooms for nurses in the former Albany High/Middle School building owned by and adjacent to Phoebe.

"We had a target start date of mid-August, and we're past that," Steiner said. "The accrediting body for the Technical College System of Georgia must finish accreditation by January 2024 in order for the facility to open by fall 2024. If we don't get approval by mid-September, I don't know how we'll make that date.

"This could be resolved in Superior Court, but they're not working with a timeline. And, as you know, they are so overloaded with a backlog of cases, and every case that comes before them is very important. I don't know if we'll get an expedited ruling."

Bryant Harden, the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission and one of four members who voted not to grant the Certificates of Appropriateness needed to move forward with the project, said Wednesday he canceled the September meeting for cause.

"On Aug. 29, I canceled the September regular meeting of the Albany-Dougherty County Historic Preservation Commission," Harden wrote in an email response to questions from The Albany Herald. "The by-laws of the HPC give the chair the prerogative to cancel a meeting when there is no business. The requirement is that the chair provide written or oral notice to the commissioners before the meeting. I did that on Aug. 29. For September, there are no Certificates of Appropriateness to consider, and, at the time, there were no other agenda items offered by the Planning Department or Commissioners.

"My understanding is that the Planning Department sent out notice of the cancelation to the public."

Told that the Herald had been made aware of complaints that new members of the HPC appointed by the Albany City Commission last month had reached out to Harden in an attempt to request that the September meeting not be canceled but had gotten no response from the chair, Harden said those new members are scheduled to undergo training before their first meeting with the HPC.

"Our new commissioners have not received training," he wrote. "As such, we've scheduled an orientation to review our ordinance, design guidelines and processes that will take place on Sept. 16. Also, new commissioners are registered for training that will be held Sept. 19-23. That training is offered by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the HPD of the Department of Community Affairs, and the Georgia Alliance for Preservation Commissions."

Harden said the next meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission would not take place until Oct. 5.