BMS is a veteran's hospital in Hot Springs, SD. Aside from being GORGEOUS, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark the day before the hearing I was at. The VA is proposing to pull their services from BMS -- essentially abandoning it which will inevitably lead to deterioration. The legal jargon is "adverse effect" which need to be mitigated under 106.
Usually the public isn't invited to these meetings until later in the process, but this meeting was open to everyone. A bunch of self-proclaimed "angry vets" came and had no intention of listening to anything the VA reps had to say. The VA is arguing that consolidating services to Rapid City will help them better serve veterans. All the veterans hear is that they'll have to travel farther to get care.
Another problem is that BMS was built in 1903. To put that into perspective, it served veterans of the Civil War. That means the building doesn't currently comply with ADA standards and modern treatment modalities. The VA think that because BMS is a landmark and listed on the National Register, that it can't be touched or rehabbed or modified. Not true. The best way to preserve a historic building is to use it and if you understand historic preservation legislation, you know that there are avenues to approve rehabilitations and even get funding for it.
Overall, the meeting was just a bunch of yelling and nothing really was accomplished despite the efforts of the moderator. That was a little frustrating since getting all the decision-makers in a room together doesn't happen very often. The good thing was I got to meet all the decision-makers and do some networking.
On the drive, no one in the car talked at all. And then I Will Always Love You came on the radio and I could barely control the giggles :)
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