Build healthy?

So, HCCA has asked that the availability of health care services be added to the Adequate Public Facilities Act (APFA).  Of local jurisdictions, only Montgomery County has a similar provision in its land use code.

On the surface, I'll give credit where credit's due-- this is not a bad idea.  The county is still growing, it's demographics are ever-changing, and health care needs are becoming more varied as a result.  For proposed development to consider its impact upon health care facilities, makes sense.

However, there are several caveats here that I see before thinking that amending APFA is a good idea:

1. In-county health care facilities shouldn't be the only ones considered in looking at impact on APFA.  People in southwest Howard use Montgomery County General in Olney, and those on the eastern end use St. Agnes Hospital, among others.  So, in order to consider new development in say, Elkridge, to fully implement APFA in terms of health care facilities, one may also have to look outside the county as well as in it.  To be honest this may be a show-stopper to any possible amendments.

2. The article in the Patuxent fishwrap this week about this isn't clear as to what problem this proposed amendment would be solving.  Some in HCCA are saying that there are lots of complaints about the ER at Howard County General.  I fail to see the direct link between development in Howard County and efficiency at the HCGH ER.  Hell, I fail to see the indirect link.

3. What types of health care facilities/ what types of care would you define in this amendment?  If basic primary care, OK.  If ER-type care-- some of that traffic could be diverted to existing and new private clinics-- let's hope people know about them.  But a car accident victim isn't going to the walk-in clinic on US 40.

4. How would one define a developer's contribution to the health care infrastructure?  How is it quantified?  Howard County does not own HCGH.  So by amending the APFA, who would benefit in terms of actually creating the enhanced infrastructure?  I guess owners/operators of local health care facilities could be incentivized in order to expand-- however, by amending APFA, wouldn't such expansion be mandated?  Under what enforcability?

This idea seems like it walks the line between true thinking ahead, and complete overlegislating.  I'd be interested to see if any Council member takes up this idea.

Comments

[Young at Heart]

If the county denies property owners the ability to develop on land they own because of inadequate public facilities, doesn't the county ultimately have the responsibility to improve those facilities? Do we want the county to become responsible for providing health care facilities? Aren't these people who are trying to create all these barriers to development setting the county up for increased costs and
themselves for increased taxes in the long run?

[Boo]

HCCA is nothing more than a bunch of busy bodies that have a very simplistic and naïve view of the world. It makes sense for roads and schools to be part of APFA since the county already has a monopoly in those industries, but no gov’t official or private citizen is capable of objectively assessing the adequacy of services produced by private businesses with an eye toward regulating development. There is no more justification for ER services being part of APFA than gas stations or hair salons.