The deal in which Albany County bought the portion of Heritage Park owned by the Town of Colonie is settled, and while county legislators say they have not yet decided what they will do with their purchase, residents say a proposal to relocate the county nursing home to the park should be revisited.
The sale brought $2.7 million to the Town of Colonie, a town that was determined to have a $19.4 million deficit, according to its most recent audit.
The proposal to move the Albany County Nursing Home to Heritage Park was originally rejected by Albany County Executive Michael Breslin. The nursing home is currently located near the park but not in it.
According to Kerri Battle, the director of communications for the county executive, moving the nursing home to the park was considered at one point, but one of the main reasons the plan was passed over was the lack of adequate transportation routes for visitors and employees to and from that location.
The county executive feels that a nursing home that is closer to transportation and where people live would be more beneficial to families and employees, she said.
Colonie resident Renee Barchitta, whose mother is a resident of Albany County Nursing Home, said the transportation route that currently operates to and from Heritage Park would suffice if the nursing home was there.
As a visitor, Barchitta said, the location of a new nursing home is key to the safety of residents and visitors.
`We really don’t like the idea of it being in the city. For example, there’s a lot of people in their 70s and 80s who go visit their family members. For them to drive into the city; it’s not as safe,` she said.
Barchitta said moving the nursing home to the park would prevent visitors having trouble parking on city streets.
`Parking is wonderful where we are,` she said.
Battle said the county has been working on plans to move the nursing home since recommendations were made by the New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission.
As per the recommendations, two facilities, the Ann Lee Home and the Albany County Nursing Home, were forced to merge into one. In addition, the number of available beds at the nursing home was downsized to 250 — a limit defined by the Berger Commission.
On top of the recommendations, Battle said, the nursing home, built in the 1970s, is a bit outdated.
`It’s antiquated and it needs to be updated,` said Battle. `Our residents deserve a facility that’s state-of-the-art, and that’s not something that’s done overnight.`
Barchitta agrees that, wherever it is located, the nursing home needs to be rebuilt.
`I think it’s so important I know we’re in times of economic problems, but the Albany County Nursing Home they take in people that no one else takes in,` she said.
Battle said since all plans regarding the nursing home were rendered void with the Berger Commission, the County Legislature is currently working on new plans to move the nursing home to a new location. Battle said that location has not yet been determined.
Barchitta said she and her husband and a group of other advocates, will continue to plead with the County Legislature to move the nursing home to Heritage Park.
`It’s a beautiful spot,` she said. “