Some residents wary of Clinic's environmental impact: Spokesman pledges to conserve 30 acres of site

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by Andre Clayton
Reporter
Twinsburg " A Cleveland Clinic official assured residents who spoke up at a meeting last week that a planned medical facility on nearly 100 acres just south of downtown would have less impact on nature than they might think.
"No wildlife or plant life will become endangered" from the construction, said Brian Smith, the Clinic's director of strategic project development, at a public hearing Aug. 20.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency conducted the meeting at its E. Aurora Road office for residents to give their comments on the Clinic's OEPA application to fill in some streams and about 3 acres of wetlands, to make room for a 170,000-square-foot medical office building at Route 91 and Interstate 480.
Joe Loucek from the OEPA Division of Surface Water gave a 10-minute presentation in which he explained the Clinic wants to fill in 3.14 of the 23.50 acres of wetlands at the site " leaving the remaining wetlands untouched " and fill in 4,335 of the 5,952 feet of streams on the site.
An alternative plan for the Clinic, that would have less environmental impact, Loucek said, would fill in 2.91 acres of wetlands and 2,816 feet of streams.
Some residents who spoke at the hearing said they preferred that the Clinic not impact any of the 86 total acres at the site.
"If the Cleveland Clinic medical facility could be built without taking away any of the wetlands and streams that would be superior they are gifts from God," said Twinsburg resident Kevin Brown, adding he fears filling in streams could cause flooding at his home adjacent to the Clinic property.
"Healthcare is important, but nature is more important," added resident Natalie Brown.
City resident Karen Clinton was concerned about possible air quality issues, saying such facilities can operate medical waste incinerators that can release toxins into the air and water.
"There will not be a medical waste incinerator at the Twinsburg facility," said Smith. He added that the Clinic plans to conserve more than 30 acres on the site for natural habitat.
Loucek noted that any streams or wetlands the Clinic fills in would have to be replaced "somewhere else on the site."
Loucek said the public comments would be taken into consideration as the OEPA considers the Clinic's application. The agency has about six months to make its decision, officials said.
The agency's decision on the application would be fowarded to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and if the Cleveland Clinic recieves approval by both agencies, it can move forward with its project, according to Loucek.
The Clinic still has to have its plans reviewed by the city planning commission and approved Council before it can break ground on the $75.1 million Phase 1 of the project, which Smith said is expected to create 300 jobs and produce $600,000 in annual city income taxes.
Pending approval, construction could begin in the fall of 2009, said Clinic officials.
E-mail: aclayton@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3172