State Board Gives Go-Ahead On Youville Hospital Expansion

A State Board voted yesterday to "approve in full" Youville Hospital officials' plan to construct two new buildings on their Cambridge site, State Public Health Council members said.

Area residents who have complained that construction would disrupt their neighborhood were "frustrated and disappointed" over the council's action. Catherine Crecilius a chief organizer of the Cambridge opposition group, said yesterday.

Neighbors of the Youville Hospital, located on Cambridge St near the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, had complained of the high cost and inconvenience of construction and asked the Cambridge City Council Monday to recommend that the state board postponed the construction plans.

Instead, the City Council voted to ask the state agency to make its final approval contingent on hospital consultation with neighborhood groups.

Following the City Council recommendations, the State Council approval calls for residents approval as a condition for the $ 25 to 30 million construction.

But community members feel this provision is essentially-meaningless explained, adding. We have no powerful voice in the hospital, plans.

Neighborhood groups had hoped that the state board would establish an expansion overflow committee composed of equal numbers of hospital officials and area residents that the council "felt that it wouldn't he appropriate to give the area group vote power," council member Stephen Sauter said yesterday.

Sister Annette Caron, exclusive director of Youville Hospital said yesterday she was very happy about the decision and foresees no problems with area residents. We intend to work with them while planning the expansion, she added.