Scranton council to seek explanation from Geisinger after neighbor objections to zoning change
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Summary
Neighbors and council members questioned a last-minute zoning amendment tied to Geisinger Community Medical Center, prompting a council motion — passed by voice vote — to request that Geisinger representatives appear and explain plans before further action.
Neighbors from the Hill neighborhood and several council members pressed the Scranton City Council on a proposed zoning amendment that would change hospital and off-street parking provisions and amend the zoning map to accommodate Geisinger Community Medical Center.
Edmunds Kakiti, an Arthur Avenue resident, said the change "appears to be on an extreme fast track" and urged the council to delay action until newly elected members are seated. "We spent almost a year putting that thing together when we came up with a compromise," Kakiti said, arguing that reversing the prior 2023 ordinance could allow large parking structures close to homes.
Council discussion focused on procedural concerns as much as substance. One council member moved to require Geisinger representatives to come before council to explain their intended plans; the motion was seconded and, after procedural debate about friendly amendments and timing, carried by voice vote.
Doctor Rothschild, who supported introducing the ordinance but emphasized the need for community input, said the process would include a 30-day public comment period and asked whether a community benefits agreement exists or should be developed. Other members raised questions about whether Geisinger had followed earlier commitments to form a neighborhood advisory board and to complete noise, traffic and shadow studies.
The ordinance amending provisions related to hospitals and off-street parking (5b) was introduced and referred to the appropriate committee for further review. Council members asked staff to request documentation from Geisinger about prior studies and the status of any neighborhood advisory board before subsequent committee work or public hearings.
What happens next: the council asked the administration and the city solicitor to draft and send a formal request that Geisinger attend a meeting to explain its plans. The introduced ordinance will proceed to committee, where staff and neighbors can review submitted materials and comment during the formal 30-day public-comment period.
Provenance: Topic appears in the transcript beginning with public comment from the Hill neighborhood (SEG 463) and continues through the motion, vote, and introduction of ordinance 5b (concluding at SEG 1152).