Rockport to hear Pen Bay Medical Center’s emergency room expansion plans
Pen Bay Medical Center, on Route 1, lies between Penobscot Bay and Route 1.
The existing and proposed conditions of the ED expansion.
The proposed retail building
The proposed location of the new greenhouse and retail building, near the Rockland City line, and the big box stores Ocean State Job Lots and Home Depot.
Pen Bay Medical Center, on Route 1, lies between Penobscot Bay and Route 1.
The existing and proposed conditions of the ED expansion.
The proposed retail building
The proposed location of the new greenhouse and retail building, near the Rockland City line, and the big box stores Ocean State Job Lots and Home Depot.
ROCKPORT — In addition to a new Route 1 greenhouse and retail building, as well as a new 73-foot pier in Rockport Harbor, and two new lagoons at Maine Water Company on Route 17, the Rockport Planning Board will review MaineHealth’s proposal to expand its emergency department space at Pen Bay Medical Center when it convenes April 22.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom and will be streamed live at https://livestream.com/Rockportmaine.
Pen Bay Medical Center wants to add another 8,000 square feet to its existing emergency department at the hospital, on Route 1 in Rockport.
According to a letter submitted in its proposal, no upgrades have been made to the ED since 1997.
“Daily census and activity logs demonstrate periods of time where there have been 22 patients in the ED with 13 rooms,” wrote Will Gartley, of Gartley and Dorsky Engineers, the Rockport company that represents MaineHealth, the nonprofit owner of the hospital, with the Planning Board.
“Patients then are roomed in the hallways on a regular basis and Pen Bay’s security personnel are often exclusively dedicated to one-on-one scenarios with behavioral health patients,” wrote Gartley. “Patient and provider feedback reflect suboptimal efficient in patient flow and rooming.”
The expansion also accounts for the upgrade of electronic monitoring systems, and inclusion of more efficient triage and trauma rooms.
“Volume trending data indicate the need for expansion, as well as specific attention to a dedicated behavioral health component,” the project plans said.
Currently, Pen Bay Medical Center, located in the town’s hospital and resort zone, occupies 30 percent of its lot, and the addition would create 1,000 square feet of impervious material.
Click here to see the pre-application documents.
Maine Water Company lagoons
Consideration of a Pre-Application Site Plan Review from Rick Jones at Maine Water Company for a proposed construction of additional lined lagoons at their existing water treatment facility located at 855 Rockland St in Rockport, ME. In zone districts 908, 915, and 1400 At Map 37 Lot 130.
The water company said the new lagoons would have a 4 acre new development footprint on two lots, one of 35 acres, the other of 533 acres.
In 2011, Maine Water improved its original membrane plant and built two lined lagoons, each with a capacity of 650,000 gallons.
“The concept was to blend the CIP (cleaning in place) and filter backwash process water streams,” the company said. “In 2017, however, MWC determined that this was problematic in a recycle system and adversely fouled the membrane filters and lowered the operational efficiency and production water capability of the treatment plant. Therefore, the two waste streams were completely separated and dedicated to individual lagoons and MWC worked collaboratively with the membrane supplier to develop a cleaning protocol to restore the hydraulic capacity of the membranes. The protocol proved to be successful and MWC has been recycling the pretreated backwash water successfully (with CIP stream separated) for about two years without membrane fouling. The two process water waste streams are each stored in separate lagoons. MWC also permitted and constructed a spray irrigation field in 2018 to dispose of the CIP process water.”
“MWC is proposing to construct two additional lined lagoons which will include one CIP lagoon, and one AS/RF (air scrub/reverse filtration) lagoon,” according to the paperwork submitted to the Rockport Planning Board. “While the existing lagoons have been successful in allowing MWC to recycle pretreated backwash water successfully without the membrane fouling, the construction of these two new lagoons will allow for an overall improvement in efficiency of operations at the facility.
“The existing CIP lagoon is currently being used to store processed water generated during the membrane chemical cleaning process. The water is transferred from the lagoon to the spray irrigation system using the existing recycle pump station where it is disposed of. An expansion of the lagoon storage volume is crucial to maintain capacity for seasonal storage of generated process water waste volumes during the winter months. The permitted operation of the spray irrigation system is May through November. This expansion includes provisions to utilize winter snow making (weather permitting) with the increase of CIP process water stream.”
New Rockport Harbor pier
Item # 4: Consideration of a Site Plan Review from Jeremy Fletcher and represented by Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying Inc. For a proposed construction of a73’ pier with a seasonal gangway and float located at Map 28 lot 75, located at 55 Sea Street Rockport, ME, zone district 901 and 1400.
The pier would extend into the water along the west side of the harbor.
Click here for full pier documentation
New greenhouse and retail building
Item # 5: Consideration of a Site Plan Review from Buck Holdings, LLC, represented by Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying Inc to construct a 16’ x 32’ retail building and 19’ x 54’ greenhouse at 1132 Commercial Street in Rockport, ME. Map 1 Lot 100 (906 zone district). The applicant is proposing to maintain the existing building located at 1126 Commercial Street, Map 1 Lot 80 (906 zone district) and use it as a retail space. A 20’ wide driveway is proposed between the two lots. The proposed driveway will also cross Lot 90 on the Town of Rockport Tax Map 1 (902 and 1400 zone district).
The new retail and gardening venture would be located near the Rockland city line.
Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657
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