Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital's cancer center proposal was denied for a second time due to what city officials deemed a potential negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood, Greenwich Time reported Nov. 11.
The revised proposal for the 55,700-square-foot cancer center shrank the building's footprint, added green space and created a design for better traffic flow. However, Planning and Zoning Commission members and residents said it would take away from the neighborhood, and the need for the facility was not great enough.
"I struggle with the need to sacrifice a residential neighborhood to offer enhanced cancer care," Commissioner Peter Lowe told Greenwich Time. He noted there are a number of other high-end cancer care facilities in nearby communities.
There were also concerns that 60 percent of expected patients would come from outside Greenwich, according to the report.
The previous version was rejected by the commission in August 2021.
"The Planning and Zoning Commission's decision tonight is deeply disappointing. While this is a setback, the need for dedicated additional space continues to be of great importance to us at Greenwich Hospital and Yale New Haven Health," hospital President Diane Kelly, DNP, RN, said in a statement shared with the publication. "We of course will continue to keep our patient needs a priority and will work to find an alternative solution."