Plans for Maplewood renovation get warm reception from lawmakers

May 09--From the reaction in the room, consensus seems nearer than ever.

At a hearing Monday night, a group of Cheshire County legislators and members of the public responded favorably to a $35.9 million proposal to renovate the ailing county nursing home in Westmoreland and build an extension.

The 150-bed facility, Maplewood, has been plagued for years with problems, including a leaky roof, clogging plumbing pipes and frequent electrical blackouts.

Representatives asked questions about operational costs, solar heating systems and federal grant funding options. Members of the public inquired into space considerations and construction logistics.

But no one raised serious objections, and with two weeks before the delegation holds a decisive vote on the proposal and its funding, the atmosphere was decidedly optimistic.

"It's been an incredible process," said Rep. Daniel Eaton, D-Stoddard, who as delegation chairman has been closely involved with the nearly 10-year effort. "Frankly, (the construction firms that drafted the proposal) exceeded what any of us ever dreamed was going to occur at the dollar value and the space location we had available."

The hearing at County Hall Monday featured a proposal months in the making, which brought in county commissioners, the county administrator and finance director, two contracting firms and the administrator of the nursing home. But the broader debate over the facility's future has spanned years.

Serious problems identified with the nursing home in 2008 kicked off a lengthy process of task forces, legislative subcommittees, public hearings and architectural renderings, with much of the debate centering on whether to renovate the existing Westmoreland site or build from scratch in Keene.

But last October, after a 14-month special subcommittee recommended a Keene and a Westmoreland option, county legislators voted 16-6 to enhance the facility where it is. A subsequent 19-3 vote appropriated $250,000 in funds directed toward hiring outside contractors to devise a detailed plan and a 20-year bonding option by May.

Monday night, stakeholders presented the delegation that plan, which involves building a wing onto the front of the building that would loop around and almost double the size of the facility. That expansion would allow for the creation of more single rooms, which many residents prefer, as well as reduce sharing of bathrooms and allow for more activity space, according to Maplewood Administrator Kathryn Kindopp.

The team also presented the first concrete price tag. The amount requested for the bond, $35.9 million, does not include annual interest payments on the bond; accounting for a conservative 4.5 percent interest rate, the 20-year cost to the county would be $52,951,856, according to County Finance Director Sheryl Trombly. That estimate would create a county tax increase of $50.28 per $100,000 in property in the first year, Trombly said.

The proposal will go before a second hearing May 22 and then immediately to a delegation vote, where it will need at least two thirds support to pass. If the bond is approved, construction would start in 2018 and take about two years, according to a representative of Engelberth Construction Inc., who spoke at the meeting.

After a presentation by Steve Horton, the project's owner's representative, attendees pressed the project's stakeholders for details.

Rose Kundanis of Keene asked about potential noise problems created by the renovations for present residents, who would be moved around on site while various parts of the existing building are under renovation.

Eaton replied with an anecdote: Residents who were asked about the noise at a hearing last year had a simple response: "We can't hear it anyway!" Horton added that while the project managers would strive to keep noise levels down, some noises, like the legally mandated back-up beeps on construction vehicles, are unavoidable.

Rep. Richard Ames, D-Jaffrey, asked whether the increase in square footage for the nursing home -- from 83,000 to 146,000 square feet -- would create a significant increase in operational costs. Kindopp replied that despite the additional size, the staffing levels would likely remain about the same.

Horton said that though the expanded electricity usage would undeniably raise costs, many of those costs are projected to be offset by the introduction of a biomass wood-pellet heating system in place of the present propane system.

Rep. Marge Shepardson, D-Marlborough, asked why the county isn't considering scrapping the nursing home altogether and putting the money toward placing present residents in private nursing homes, citing a suggestion she had heard voiced on the local radio station.

Eaton cited two reasons in reply: the fact that no area nursing homes have the capacity to take in all of Maplewood's current 147 residents at once, and the fact that the Medicaid reimbursement rate that presently funds the majority of patients at Maplewood would not be sufficient to cover care at private institutions. Kindopp, speaking afterward, agreed.

Rep. Bruce L. Tatro, D-Swanzey, asked what guarantees the county has that the contractors responsible for construction will be effective.

To that, Horton was emphatic.

"I will be your eyes and ears on the site, watching constantly," he said. "I, and we, would never put our name on a project that was not successful and failed almost immediately. Not on my watch."

With two weeks to go before the vote, which will require 16 out of the 23 delegates' approval, support among legislators appears strong. Of the six representatives who voted against the Westmoreland proposal last October, only three remain in their seats this election: Reps. John Bordenet, D-Keene, Ames and Shepardson.

Bordenet said in an interview Monday that he still strongly opposes the Westmoreland plan and intends to vote against the bond proposal.

He said his objection surrounds staffing: With a statewide shortage of licensed practical nurses and licensed nursing assistants, the rural Westmoreland setting of Maplewood creates a deterrent to recruiting new nursing staff that a Keene option wouldn't, he argued.

Though Bordenet did not raise his concerns at Monday's hearing, he said he intends to try to rally support for his side through a letter to The Sentinel and other approaches ahead of the vote.

But Shepardson, who also voted no in October, said Monday she'll support the present bond proposal. Shepardson said while she would still prefer a new site in Keene, she has always intended to support the will of the delegation. The new proposal, she added, impressed her.

Ames could not be immediately reached for comment on how he will vote.

"I am a voice crying out in the wilderness," Bordenet said of his position.

Summarizing the generally positive sentiment, Janette Hubert, a resident of Westmoreland, rose to voice a note of praise.

"After going to endless meetings on this and suffering with everybody through thousands of questions and issues, I want to thank you," she said, facing the project team. "Because this looks terrific."

The room responded with applause.

Ethan DeWitt can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or edewitt@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EDeWittKS

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