Steuben legislators table plans to renovate former health care facility
By MARY PERHAM CORNING LEADER

BATH - Plans to renovate the former Steuben County health care facility into a $9 million county office complex are on hold for a month...The county Legislature's Finance Committee tabled a scheduled vote on the project Tuesday, at the request of county Legislator Scott Van Etten, RCaton. ..Van Etten wanted more information on the effect the move would have on the Steuben County Office Building on Pulteney Square..."To get this (proposal) today and vote on a $9 million bond, I'm not prepared to do that," Van Etten said. "I'm not against this, I just want to know more."..After deciding in June 2005 to build a new county health care facility, Steuben officials have periodically speculated about possible future uses of the old 105-bed county nursing home on Mt. Washington Road...And with the new facility now open, the Legislature's Agriculture, Industry and Planning Committee met with consultants Monday to formally review uses for the older building. ..The committee turned down a $17 million proposal for a 39-unit assisted living complex as too expensive and unrealistic, opting instead to move county departments into the building with renovations and upgrades pegged at $9 million...Construction costs would likely be reduced to $6 million by using $3 million left over after constructing the new jail wing...If approved by the full Legislature, the departments slated for the move include Cornell Cooperative Extension, Public Health, Office for the Aging, Senior Nutrition and the Board of Elections...Other small departments that may move include the Youth Bureau, the Veterans Services Agency, Special Children's Services, Soil and Water Conservation Agency, and county Historian. ..But Van Etten said the plans don't take into account the effect the move would have on the main Pulteney Square complex..."You create open spaces here, I'm concerned there will be a second wave of expenses," he said. "I know now you're stacking people on top of people. But I'd be concerned if you free up areas, you'll just add more people."..County Administrator Mark Alger said free areas will probably be used to bring together departments now scattered throughout the main building, including Probation and the District Attorney's offices..."It's an obvious concern, we will have four or five areas open," he said. "But does that mean that social services adds another 500 employees? No."..Alger said the next step in the county's plans would be to develop a layout of the departments remaining in Pulteney Square. The layout could be presented for review in August, he said...Committee Chairman Patrick Donnelly, R-Bath, said there was no reason for an immediate decision..."If people want to hold off and talk about it, that's fine," Donnelly said.