EASTON — Three weeks after attorneys for the Town of Easton, Talbot County and UM Shore Regional Health came before new regional medical center stakeholders to discuss possible upcoming amendments to the development rights and responsibilities agreement, Town Attorney Sharon VanEmburgh brought the Town Council a draft.
The original agreement, which was signed in 2014, ensures that zoning will not change for the land that Shore Regional intends to build a new hospital on. Specifically, the agreement — which was negotiated by the town, the county and UM Shore Regional Health — vests Shore Regional in Easton’s Regional Healthcare zoning district.
The regional medical center is planned to be built off Longwoods Road in Easton. According to previous Star Democrat reporting, construction on the medical center is anticipated to begin in spring 2025, with doors tentatively opening in summer 2028.
At the April 15 workshop, which brought together representatives from UM Shore Regional Health and the county and town governments, VanEmburgh mentioned changes in the construction industry, dates that are no longer realistic in today’s climate and changes in the hospital’s needs and utility requirements as some of the reasons for why an amendment is necessary.
At the Town Council meeting Monday, VanEmburgh said most of what the draft amendment does is take things out of the original DRRA to be put into a public works agreement with more specific information.
“Because that information is not available at this time as we are moving forward with the amendment to the DRRA,” she said.
Items that would be taken out of the agreement include “several” utility specifics including completion dates and capacity needs at various points in the project.
VanEmburgh said the most substantive proposed change to the agreement is to expand the 30-year-term of the DRRA.
“It’s been 10 years and no development has occurred yet,” VanEmburgh said. “So Shore Health would like that term — because it’s 30 years originally — to start from when we enter into this amendment.”
Other proposed changes to the agreement include updates to the existing land use regulations to match ordinances that have passed since the agreement was made and updates to the ownership of land, as Shore Regional has taken title of the properties since entering into the agreement.
After VanEmburgh spoke, Ward 4 council member the Rev. Elmer Davis Jr. asked whether the amendment included the addition of a fire apparatus, which Ward 2 Council member Don Abbatiello asked about during the workshop on April 15. At the workshop, Abbatiello voiced support for adding that the Shore Regional include a fire apparatus in the project “to meet any needs that the hospital might have.”
In response to Davis’ question, UM Shore Regional Health Attorney Ryan Showalter said Shore Health is in the process of cutting things out of the project to make the budget work. He said adding a fire apparatus to the project is not consistent with those efforts, but they are open to continuing discussion.
Abbatiello said he understood money would be tight during construction and was hoping this could be agreed upon for later on, not during construction of the hospital.
“So it’s a shame that that couldn’t make it in (the drafted amendment),” he said. “Because ... the town and the (fire) department was hoping for some kind of commitment down the road.”
VanEmburgh recommended the council set a public hearing and refer the amended DRA document to the Easton Planning Commission to review whether it is consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan. A public hearing on the draft amendment is set for June 3.
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