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City urged to reconsider Hospice request

January 28, 2004

Dear Editor:

Heritage Hospice is nationally regarded as a leader in palliative and end-of-life care. In its 25-year history, Heritage has touched thousands of lives from throughout south central Kentucky, lives that have been uplifted from loss, eased through pain, given a loving touch at an unforgettable moment.

Heritage Hospice, one of the cornerstones in Danville being recognized as a "Certified Retirement Community," is now looking at other locations to base their headquarters, including options in several other Kentucky counties. They are being forced to do so because Heritage Hospice's request for a zone change was voted down by the City Commission.

In their haste to turn down this request, our city commissioners failed to think of the 23 jobs that would be lost to another county's tax rolls, a significant $660,000-plus annually. In addition, there is the ripple through the economy that has a multimillion-dollar effect on our local businesses.

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Heritage Hospice will ask that the City Commission re-visit this issue and allow for the proposed variance. Heritage Hospice's request is not that of a developer wishing to add hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses which would undoubtedly challenge our local infrastructure. This request will not force the city to add sewerage because Heritage can arrange to have a containment vessel pumped at regular intervals.

The Board of Directors of the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce respectfully requests this reconsideration for other reasons as well. Heritage Hospice is a part of the life-enabling health infrastructure of our community that, like Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, makes Danville a better place to live and to work. We hope supporting those values is what our city commissioners believe it is their mission to accomplish.

Steve Rinehart, chairman

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce

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