Plan Commission finds project meets permit requirements

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

A proposal from the Marshfield Clinic to build a 72,000-square-foot hospital addition to its current clinic in Minocqua will be up for consideration March 7 by the town board.

The Minocqua Plan Commission backed the project at its meeting Feb. 28 when commission members found it met the requirements for a conditional use permit application and also recommended conditions for approval.

The Marshfield Clinic is seeking a conditional use permit for a 12-bed hospital that would have a surgery center, in-patient beds, emergency room, imaging and lab. The proposed single-story addition, which has an estimated price tag from $30-35 million, would be built to the southwest of the existing clinic and designed for potential future expansion, vertically and horizontally, according to the permit application.

Minocqua public works director Mark Pertile noted the recommended permit conditions include installing a berm as a sound barrier on the north side of where a helipad would be located and also working with the state Department of Transportation to put the appropriate signs in place for people to find their way to the hospital facility.

Upon the Plan Commission sending the permit application to the Minocqua Town Board for consideration, it will be up to the town board as to whether to recommend the project or make any changes to the permit conditions before forwarding the proposal to the Oneida County Planning and Development Committee for final approval.

County land use specialist Kathy Ray said the Planning and Development Committee would be able to hold a public hearing on the permit application at its April 5 meeting following consideration next Tuesday by the Town Board. She noted that hearing would also take place in Minocqua.

Though the committee could either approve or deny the permit April 5, Ray said there would be a 30-day appeal process available afterwards for someone to be able to appeal the committee’s decision to the county’s Board of Adjustment.

If approved, the project would place another hospital in the Minocqua-Woodruff area in close proximity to the existing Howard Young Medical Center that is part of Ministry Health Care and owned by Ascension.

Representatives of HYMC have expressed objections to the Marshfield Clinic’s proposal. HYMC also recently announced plans for its own multi-million-dollar renovation and construction project slated to begin by June 1.

The Marshfield Clinic indicated a desire in its permit application paperwork to begin construction on the addition in April and complete it by next January. That work would also involve removing and replacing 330 existing parking stalls and adding 70 parking stalls. The project is supposed to add approximately 45-50 new staff.