Among the approvals Bassett needs before beginning construction of the plan's $19 million first phase are a variance from the side-yard setback and height restrictions in the residential district the in which the hospital is located.

Members of the board went over the plan with Bassett Healthcare Vice-President Joe Middleton, but focused as much or more on parking issues as they did the two variances being sought.

Middleton will provide the board with additional details concerning the dimensions of the many buildings on the hospital campus as well as more drawings of the structure as it will appear with the proposed 13-foot fifth floor to be added to the inpatient care facility.

In addition, there will be a mechanical penthouse on top of the new floor that will house some of the operating systems for the building. The placement was designed to cut noise levels, which Middleton said was one of the biggest concerns voiced in a special meeting with neighbors hosted Monday night by the hospital.

The side-yard setback and height variances will be the subject of a public hearing when the ZBA meets again on Tuesday, March 5.

Middleton told the board the other primary concern of neighbors was on-street parking by hospital employees.

ZBA Chairman Susan Snell said that the board may end up taking a look at that issue during the review of the project.

"Unless all requirements of the law are met, we would need to be involved with a parking variance," she said.

Middleton candidly admitted that on-street employee parking has been a problem for the hospital - that it is frequently the cause for disciplinary action with employees. The hospital, he said, has "booted" the cars of some employees and some have been dismissed over persistent parking problems.

"The reality is we have employees using village streets for parking. We will try to address this as much as possible," he said.

The hospital has a lease with the Clark Sports Center for the use of 750 spaces for employee parking, the problems is, Middleton said, they have some "very determined" employees who don't want to the park there and take the shuttle.

The hospital has been monitoring employee parking and during the day in a recent survey of the hospital's different parking lots, there were 100 empty spaces, but there were also 42 employees parked on the street.

Bassett's proposal includes a five percent increase in the number of parking spaces for a total of 1,210. The plan will also add approximately 45 new employees to the hospital staff.

Options do exist for the hospital to meet parking requirements. One of them is to develop three acres of land at the rear of the Harrison House, but it is not an idea that Bassett Healthcare President and CEO Dr.William Streck advocates.

During the planning stages of the facilities plan hospital officials considered a parking structure for lots two and three near the Susquehanna River, but because of the visual impact and cost, they abandoned the idea.

Middleton explained that soils in that area would have required massive support columns for such a structure.

The hospital, Middleton said, is trying to incentivize parking so that employees will use the lots provided instead of the streets in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the health care institution. "We're trying to make it more convenient to behave appropriately," he said.

The ZBA did not schedule a public hearing concerning parking during Tuesday's meeting because it has not yet been determined that it is in the purview of the board.

Middleton said he would research what is required in the law, inventory the employee, patient and visitor parking spaces and explain how the hospital accounts for the ebb and flow of demand for those spaces throughout the day during shift changes, clinic and visiting hours.

The hospital is also negotiating with two outside firms to conduct a study of hospital parking. Middletown expects to hire one of the firms by next week. Such a study could take three to four weeks to complete.

Continuing review of the plan will shift back to the planning board for its meeting next Tuesday. The planning board has scheduled a public hearing on the plan for Tuesday, Feb. 26. The board of trustees will make a preliminary review of the hospital's special use permit application during its meeting February 19 in anticipation of a public hearing the following month.