OSKALOOSA — The Oskaloosa City Council unanimously approved a site plan for a new surgical and patient wing to Mahaska Health Partnership Monday night.

The site plan features a 52,000-square-foot addition at the hospital, located at 1229 C Ave. E., in Oskaloosa. City staff stipulated that the plan had to include 11-fooot-wide handicapped parking stalls, sanitary sewer be connected to an existing 8-inch main, water be connected to an existing water main on North 12th Street and storm water management be done through detention and outlet protection.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the city council approve the plan at its March 8 meeting.

MHP CEO Jay Christensen said the addition has been in the works for three years. The addition will be located on the northeast side of the MHP campus and the facility will have two 26,000-square-foot levels.

The ground floor will house a surgery center with three suites and two endoscopy suites for out-patient surgery. Patients will stay in private rooms for infection control, he said.

The second floor will house in-patient units for surgery and birthing.

“It really provides us the level of service our patients expect,” Christensen told the council.

Christensen also said the parking lot will have a net gain of 11 parking stalls. Also, there will be a water retention basin included in the project.

Christensen fielded several questions from council members.

Council member Pam Blomgren asked Christensen about the impact construction will have on traffic around the hospital. Currently, MHP is building a Hospice comfort house on the MHP campus.

There will not be any crossover in traffic for the construction projects, but there won’t be much a break in between, Christensen said.

The Hospice house will be complete by May, and construction on the new hospital wing will begin in July, he said.

For the long-term, there won’t be more traffic in the neighborhood, just different traffic, Christensen said.

Council member Doug Yates asked about the six handicap stalls in the parking lot.

Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock Jr. said that the stalls are 11 feet wide, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Council member Tom Walling also asked about current hospital-related work on J Avenue and 12th Street and its impact on the street there.

Christensen said street replacement is still scheduled for after the completion of the project, but no hot-mix asphalt will be available until April 15.

The City Council approved the site plan on a 6-0 vote, Council member Scottie Moore was absent.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com