Haverhill Pavilion won a special permit from the Haverhill City Council Tuesday night to proceed with plans to construct an addition for a 24-bed geriatric behavioral health unit at the hospital at 76 Summer St.
Robert D. Harb, the Haverhill attorney representing the hospital’s owner, Acadia Health Care of New Jersey, said the need for the additional mental health beds is well documented. In a letter to the Council, he said Haverhill Pavilion is running at 97.1% capacity and “deflected” 1,354 referrals in 2024. The state Department of Mental Health has already approved the addition, he noted.
“Do we have a fiscal impact on the city? Only a positive one. We are going to get more taxes out of the building. We are going to bring approximately 25 to 30 new employments for the town,” he said.
According to federal filings, Acadia purchased what was the 71-bed Whittier Pavilion from Haverhill-based Whittier Health Network on Feb. 15, 2019 for about $17.9 million.
The permit comes with a condition, advanced by Councilor Devan M. Ferreira, that new landscaping intended to the shield the neighbors be in place before an occupancy permit is issued. Ferreira said she believes it is important to address climate resiliency when possible.
Harb said that the design of the new structure would blend seamlessly with the current structure so it would not appear to be an obvious addition. New landscaping, including trees and shrubs at the rear of the property, an updating of plantings at the entrance and in the parking area would provide more greenery and help control noise, he added.
Harb said the next step for the project would be to apply for a development review by the city.