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Planning Board — March 31, 2026

The meeting was professional but featured substantive questioning from both the board and the public regarding the long-term social and infrastructural impacts of the expansion.

Date Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Duration 1.0h Speakers 1 Public comments 10 Decisions 1 Mildly contentious

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion

40,000 square foot expansion increasing surgical capacity and staffing by 43 people. Affected: Local residents (access to care), healthcare workers (housing/jobs), and the broader community (traffic/infrastructure).
other high impact

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of the New London Hospital surgical suite expansion site plan.
The board made findings of fact including: the use is allowed in the institutional hospital zone, parking capacity is adequate, drainage is sufficient, water connection is approved, and setbacks are met. Motion by Emily, second by Janet.
Passed unanimously
97:21

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
00:19 New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review

A final site plan review for a project at 273 County Road involving a 40,000 square foot, two-story expansion to add four new operating rooms, increase PACU capacity, and provide a new loading dock and sterilization unit.

Speakers: Speaker A (unnamed Moderator/Chair), Lauren Worth, Eric Turay, Jen Cournoyer Tino
25:24 Parking and Traffic Impact

Discussion regarding the addition of 15 parking spaces (bringing the total to 440) and the results of a trip generation study showing minimal impact on local intersections.

Speakers: Eric Turay, David (Board Member), Lauren Worth
63:58 Workforce Housing and Staffing

Discussion regarding the projected need for 43 new staff members and the challenges of local housing availability and childcare.

Speakers: Marianne McEnrue (Board Member), Lauren Worth
28:48 Utilities and Infrastructure

Overview of water usage approval from the New London Springfield Water District and the requirement for a new sewer pump station due to elevation differences.

Speakers: Eric Turay, Paul (Board Member)

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Workforce Housing and Staffing

The hospital expansion requires 43 new staff members, which exacerbates the existing local housing crisis. This pits institutional growth against community residential stability.
Board position: The board acknowledged the issue but ultimately moved forward with approval, placing the onus on the hospital to coordinate with community groups.
medium concern
02

Parking and Accessibility

Residents and board members expressed concerns that current and future parking levels are insufficient, specifically regarding handicap accessibility and specialized patient needs (hospice/lab).
Board position: The board relied on the applicant's trip generation study suggesting minimal impact, though members raised specific practical concerns about accessibility.
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Seek approval from the Dartmouth Health Board.
Assigned: New London Hospital Project Team · Due: 2026-04-16
Anticipated start of construction.
Assigned: New London Hospital Project Team · Due: 2026-05-01
Provide summer vacation blackout dates to the Planning Board.
Assigned: Board Members · Due: 2026-04-14

Notable ⁠statements

The expansion will allow our New London patients and our surrounding communities to have increased access to the academic medical center for procedures such as cardiac surgeries, trauma cases, and complex general surgeries. — Lauren Worth · Explaining the strategic necessity of the expansion within the Dartmouth Health system. 03:55
Put your thinking caps on, if you haven't already, to figure out where these 43 people are going to live. — Marianne McEnrue · Expressing concern regarding the impact of new hospital staff on the local housing crisis. 65:36
I don't think there's enough parking for handicap spaces... if I was going to get my lab work done at 9:00 in the morning, there are no parking spaces available. — David (Board Member) · Raising concerns about current parking accessibility for patients and visitors. 70:25

Member ⁠positions

3 issues · 0 explicit · 6 inferred
Tim Paradis
Chair
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ✓
Joseph Kubit
Member
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
Present
Workforce Housing and Staffing ✓
Concerned about impact of 43 new staff on local housing crisis.
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
Paul Gorman
Member
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
Paul Vance
Member
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
David Royle
Alternate
Present
Parking and Traffic Impact ✓
Raised concerns about insufficient handicap and patient parking accessibility.
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ~
Janet Kidder
Selectmen's Representative
Present
New London Hospital Surgical Suite Expansion and Renovation Site Plan Review YES ✓

Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
10
Total speakers
8
Addressed
1
Partial
1
Not addressed
Lauren Worth
00:44
Addressed
As the CEO of New London Hospital, she presented a proposal for a surgical suite expansion and renovation. She explained that the project is necessary to meet increasing surgical volumes and will include four new operating rooms and increased recovery capacity. Key concern
Requesting approval for the hospital's surgical suite expansion and renovation site plan.
Board response
The board held a discussion, asked various follow-up questions regarding capacity, staffing, and parking, and ultimately voted to approve the site plan.
The board engaged with the presentation, answered questions through dialogue, and moved to approve the application.
Eric Turay
06:43
Addressed
He presented the technical details of the site planning, including drainage, utility connections, and stormwater management. He detailed how the project minimizes environmental impact by working within existing wetland constraints. Key concern
Presentation of technical site planning, stormwater management, and utility logistics.
Board response
The board's questions were directed to the project team (Lauren and Dave) following his presentation.
The technical details were reviewed and incorporated into the board's findings of fact and subsequent approval.
Jen Cournoyer
24:53
Addressed
She presented the architectural and floor plan details, explaining the connection between the new expansion and the existing hospital. She also covered the use of materials to match the existing building. Key concern
Presentation of architectural designs, floor plans, and interior/exterior elevations.
Board response
The board reviewed the architectural aspects as part of the overall site plan discussion.
The architectural plans were part of the comprehensive site plan review that was approved.
Paul Gorman
30:25
Addressed
He asked about the long-term capacity of the expansion and how much extra demand is being accounted for. He also questioned the basis of the growth projections and how much future expansion might be needed. Key concern
Sustainability of the expansion capacity and the data/surveys used to project future surgical demand.
Board response
The hospital leadership (Lauren Worth) provided detailed explanations regarding Advisory Board data, surgical volume increases, and the design's ability to accommodate future growth.
The speaker received a direct, detailed explanation from the applicant regarding his specific questions.
Marianne McEnrue
39:03
Addressed
She inquired about the number of new staff members required and the impact this would have on local housing availability. She suggested the hospital consider workforce housing solutions. Key concern
Impact of new hospital staff on local housing demand and workforce housing availability.
Board response
The hospital leadership explained the projected number of new staff (43) and noted that while they are not building housing, they are working with community groups and the Upper Valley Coalition to address the issue.
The applicant provided a direct answer regarding staffing numbers and their current approach to the housing challenge.
Paul Gorman
41:49
Addressed
He asked for a list of other hospitals within the Dartmouth Health System to understand the broader network. Key concern
Clarification of the Dartmouth Health System hospital affiliations.
Board response
The hospital leadership provided a comprehensive list of the affiliated critical access and community hospitals.
The speaker's request for information was fulfilled immediately with a detailed list.
David Royle
44:19
Partial
He expressed concern that there is currently insufficient parking for handicap access and for visitors to the hospice unit. He suggested that certain parking areas might need to be dedicated to specific hospital functions. Key concern
Inadequate parking for handicap accessibility and specific patient needs (hospice/lab work).
Board response
The hospital leadership explained that while parking is tight at peak times, their studies show adequate capacity, and they committed to discussing dedicated parking and signage with their operations team and Patient Family Advisory Council.
The speaker's concern was acknowledged and a plan for further internal review (with the advisory council) was proposed, though no immediate change to the site plan was made.
Charlene Baxter
46:00
Addressed
She asked if other hospitals in the Dartmouth system were facing similar capacity issues and how New London compares to them. Key concern
Comparison of New London Hospital's capacity needs with other hospitals in the Dartmouth Health system.
Board response
The hospital leadership provided a comparison, noting that several other hospitals in the system are also undergoing expansions or upgrades for similar reasons.
The applicant provided a detailed comparison of the regional hospital landscape.
Unknown
49:10
Addressed
The speaker suggested that communication between New London Hospital and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center needs to be improved regarding patient referrals and support. Key concern
Improvement of communication and coordination between the community hospital and the academic medical center.
Board response
The hospital leadership agreed, stating that improving access and communication is part of the Dartmouth Health strategic plan and is being led by the Chief Clinical Officer.
The speaker's suggestion was validated by leadership, who confirmed it is an active strategic priority.
Paul Gorman
51:45
Addressed
He asked for clarification on land ownership regarding the wetlands and the hospital's parcels, and whether current utility hookups would prevent future workforce housing development. Key concern
Clarification of land ownership and whether utility infrastructure limits future housing potential.
Board response
The hospital leadership clarified the ownership of the parcels and explained that the current utility/sewer design is for the hospital and does not prohibit future development on other parcels.
The speaker received clear answers regarding parcel ownership and utility flexibility.
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Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.