Study Team Holds Third Muhlenberg Forum

Activist Nancy Piwowar wears a Candy Striper uniform at the third Muhlenberg forum.

Nancy Piwowar envisioned a medical museum as a "cultural tourism" draw to Plainfield.

Claire Tucker called for a trauma center to deal with drug overdoses, shootings and stabbings.

Citing extreme health and social services needs here, Jeff Scheckner said of all places in Union County, "Plainfield needs a hospital."

No one spoke in favor of putting hundreds of luxury apartments on the site of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, which closed in 2008.

Planners Susan Gruel and Fred Heyer conducted their third community meeting Tuesday to gather comments from residents. Their charge in a study funded by the city is to gain consensus on what people want to see on the site.

"Our final product will be a change in zoning," Heyer said.

The initial concept will be posted on the city web site and it will be discussed at another community forum before a final report.

Dottie Gutenkauf

Activist Dottie Gutenkauf, who organized rallies to save the hospital and later to restore it, told Heyer and Gruel Tuesday, "I think you two have heard more than adequately from the Plainfield community what is wanted."

Many in the crowd of about 50 had attended all three community meetings and some had special concerns about the shuttered hospital. Deborah Dowe said she and Piwowar have been investigating the hospital's finances. Other speakers sought to dispel the notion that the hospital closed due to burdens of charity care. Dowe, who previously spoke about the stress and possible dangers to women having to travel to Elizabeth to give birth, said a protest is planned with a baby carriage being pushed from the Plainfield Health Center to Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth. Dowe said the protest will be "live-streamed internationally."

Heyer and Gruel had to remind the audience of the scope of their study. Heyer said developers look for the "highest and best use" for a site, but they were looking for consensus from the neighborhood and the result might not be the the same.

Gutenkauf reminded the audience that Muhlenberg has an application before the Planning Board to relocate the satellite emergency department from the hospital to Kenyon House at the corner of Park Avenue and Randolph Road. Although the board is dealing just with plans for a new SED there and not with what will become of the hospital site, Gutenkauf urged all to attend the Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in City Hall Library.

P.S. Plainfield View has video of Assemblyman Jerry Green's comments.



--Bernice

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