By Jamie L. Costa
The Eagle-Tribune
SALEM, N.H. — A free-standing 24-hour emergency room operated by Parkland Medical Center was conditionally approved by planners Thursday night to take over a space on South Broadway once occupied by a Rite Aid store.
The emergency room will be the first of its kind in Salem, similar to that of the Plaistow Emergency Room opened in October 2023 and is also operated by PMC. The model is designed with shorter distances and shorter wait times in mind for patients and first responders.
“The primary distinction between this and a hospital is that there are no overnight stays,” Fulmer Lucas Engineering LLC Project Engineer Jack Maile said. “But it does function as an emergency room and provides the same services.”
The proposed redevelopment plan seeks to repurpose the existing building and upgrade amenities on site to include an ambulance bay in the rear of the building and the elimination of some parking spaces in the front to accommodate drop-offs and pickups.
“The building will remain substantially the same,” Planning Director Jacob LaFontaine said.
Though the medical facility will not accommodate overnight stays, it will provide 24-hour imaging, like ultrasounds and X-rays, blood products and emergency transportation to other hospitals as needed, Parkland Medical CEO Whitney Fenyak said.
Patients can arrive to the emergency center by ambulance, but it’s designed to be more of a walk-in facility, she said. The facility has the support of Fire Chief Craig Lemire.
“I would much rather see my ambulance drive to you than drive to Methuen or Lawrence,” Town Council Representative Jeffrey Hatch said. “It’s less wear and tear for us.”
The town did receive some comments from abutters on Granite Avenue about the potential noise ambulances might generate in the area when driving to the emergency room with their sirens on at night, which the applicant agreed to look into and address if needed.
A Fulmer Lucas Engineering traffic assessment indicated that the proposed redevelopment plan is expected to generate 272 daily trips, a significant decrease from the 1,086 generated by Rite Aid at the same location.
Neither developers nor Fenyak provided details on the cost to build the facility or the expected timeline of construction and occupancy.
Per the conditions of approval, the applicant will work directly with LaFontaine and the Planning Department to address additional concerns related to the exterior design of the medical facility to be in line with the expectations of the town.
“I think that is a great use of that existing building and that location,” Planning Board member Jim Harvey said. " I’m in favor of it.”
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