GREEN TWP. - Plans to build a $200 million hospital here cleared a hurdle Monday when trustees voted 3-0 to endorse a zone amendment proposal by Mercy Health Partners.

Mercy officials showed a concept site plan for the rezoning that would change the site's 70 acres off North Bend Road at Interstate 74 to planned office.

Features outlined by Michael Ricke of developer Anchor Properties included medical offices on the west end of the site, a two-acre buffer between the offices and St. Ignatius School to the north, 100-450 feet of buffering along most of the south site border and an up to six-story hospital with a maximum height of 95 feet on the east edge of the property. A terraced parking lot and a two-story parking structure were shown in front of the hospital.

Boomer Road, running west into North Bend Road, would be rerouted south and west and become a hospital access road. The old road would become a private drive for St. Ignatius.

"There will be no hospital traffic on Boomer (immediately south of St. Ignatius)," said Adam Goetzman, township director of development.

Residents spoke for and against the hospital plan.

"Change is gonna happen," resident Steve Weidner said. As long as the change is positive, Weidner said, "A first-class medical facility is going to be good for our community."

Opposition organizer Mark Broering Sr. of Monfort Heights said the hospital was not in a good location and would increase traffic. "You can take a very good presentation and stick it in the Mojave Desert and it doesn't work," Broering said of the plan.

Ricke said ongoing improvements to North Bend Road and improvements planned by Mercy will improve traffic flow in the area.

According to township officials, a Joint Economic Development District with Cheviot would collect a payroll tax on about 1,600 Mercy employees to help pay for infrastructure upgrades; 85 percent of revenue would go to Green Township with 15 percent going to Cheviot.

If built, the hospital would open in 2014 and assume the inpatient care services of Mercy's Western Hills and Mount Airy hospitals.

The zoning case will be heard before Hamilton County's Regional Planning Commission at 1 p.m. Aug. 6 in Room 805B, Hamilton County Administration Building, 138 E. Court St.

Additional regulatory approvals from Hamilton County are needed before construction can begin.

By Eric Bradley • ebradley@enquirer.com • July 27, 2009