Experts say noise from events at Stadium, Botanical Gardens won’t bother Geriatric Hospital residents

Assurances are being given that the peace and quiet of the proposed new Geriatric Hospital in Waterford, St Michael will not be disturbed by shows and other activities at the nearby National Stadium and National Botanical Gardens.

Lead architect on the 400-bed, three-storey Waterford Geriatric Hospital Development Project, Dr Albert Best said on Wednesday evening that the facility will be built on the edge of the Botanical Gardens, bordering the Clyde Walcott Roundabout.

Giving details on the proposed site during a Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTI) virtual public consultation, he made it clear that the hospital would be far enough from the National Stadium and the National Botanical Gardens, which are used to host events, that any noise emanating from those locations would not affect the elderly residents or staff.

“The existing National Stadium which is the most dominant landmark is one kilometre away from our site. Our site actually forms on the corner of the ABC Highway and the Waterford Road. Across from it on the right-hand side you would see the Hothersal community. So, there is a highly dense community right across the road from the proposed site,” Dr Best said.

He further explained that while the National Botanical Gardens is located to the left of Waterford Bottom heading to the Clyde Walcott Roundabout, Barbadians were not aware that the land situated on the right of the road is called the International Botanical Gardens.

The architect said the area that is now a cart road on the left of Waterford Bottom, heading toward Combermere School, will be the entrance to the proposed 18-acre site which is yet to be approved by the Town and Country Planning Department.

Andy Gill, principal planning consultant at Richard Gill Associates, the coordinator of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), said baseline noise levels from the highway and live shows that are likely to take place close to the proposed site were being taken.

However, he said that because the facility will be situated around 0.9 kilometres from the Botanical Gardens amphitheatre and approximately 1.2 kilometres from the Waterford shooting range, “it is quite far from these potentially noisy events”.

“The facility itself is not expected to create noise impacts on the surrounding properties. Mitigation in the form of soil berms and vegetation are proposed and other measures may be recommended to provide a pleasant amenity if the study shows this,” Gill said.

Meanwhile, Dr Best revealed that the project will be done in two phases. Phase one, which will be on approximately 130 square feet of floor space, will be for the construction of the administrative and support core main hospital building’s south and west wings.

The second phase, on 35 000 square feet of floor area, will be an extension of the west wing.

Support facilities at the proposed hospital include storerooms, a morgue, a warehouse, cold storage, a housekeeping and maintenance area, a records department, a doctors’ lounge, a pharmacy with independent access, a state-of-the-art laundry room, kitchen, and cafeteria.

There will also be showers and overnight sleeping facilities for staff, an infection control unit, a rehabilitation unit equipped with a gym and therapeutic pool, treatment and isolation rooms, and a courtyard garden and chapel that can accommodate 50 people.

“We have daycare facilities doubling the clients that they have now for around 40 to 50 capacity. Then also on the admin core, we have the reception, security department, social services, admissions department and discharge, sisters’ offices, and two treatment rooms,” Dr Best added.

He said the sustainable design also features an insulated cool roof membrane, photovoltaic panels on the roof, hydronic roof drainage system, rainwater storage systems, insulated external siding, window shading devices, hurricane shutters to withstand hurricane force winds, eco-friendly floors walls and ceilings, natural ventilation, a generator building, and a waste treatment plant, in addition to portable water storage.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb