Suburban Hospital files for expansion

The Bethesda facility is also requesting a partial road abandonment, which many residents oppose

Residents will ‘‘oppose this in any way we can,” said Bob Deans of the Huntington Terrace Citizens Association.

The county’s Board of Appeals will hold four hearings on the proposal, and county officials must sign off on partial road abandonment in order for the project to begin as planned.

Some residents of Huntington Terrace remain firmly opposed to the hospital’s plan, especially closing off Lincoln Street, which residents say is a main artery in the neighborhood.

The Board of Appeals will hold hearings in October on Suburban’s application to modify the hospital’s current special exception, which allows the hospital to operate in a residential zone.

Hospital spokeswoman Ronna Borenstein-Levy said the 228-bed hospital is planning ‘‘this week or next” to file a request for abandonment of one block of Lincoln Street. The request will go to the Office of the County Executive and the County Council.

‘‘We’re excited about the support that we’re hearing from the general community” on hospital improvements ‘‘that are much needed,” Borenstein-Levy said.

‘‘Suburban has ample property to expand its medical and surgical facilities,” Deans said. ‘‘It’s not necessary to close Lincoln Street. It’s not right to bring commercial doctors’ offices into a residential community, and it’s not necessary to tear down 23 homes to put up a parking lot ... at the community’s expense.”

The plan adds 300,000-square-foot building with a surgical wing, more private patient rooms and physician office space. A new parking garage with seven stories of aboveground parking would augment the hospital’s current garage and surface parking lot.

Construction would take place from 2011 to 2013.

The hospital will tear down 23 homes that it owns in Huntington Terrace to make way for new construction.

Officials are also requesting the abandonment of one block of Lincoln Street, which splits the two blocks of Old Georgetown Road that would encompass the hospital’s new, larger campus.

There are neighbors who support the expansion, however.

Louise Vann, of McKinley Street just south of the hospital, is ‘‘in favor of Suburban’s enlargement or doing anything to improve its excellent service.”

Vann said her whole family has been treated at Suburban.

‘‘I’m very selfish. I want [the hospital] right where I am,” she said.