Plan to rebuild Lenox Hill Hospital moves forward, despite 'no' advisory vote from Community Board

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A plan to rebuild Lenox Hill Hospital is moving forward despite a "no" advisory vote from Community Board 8 on the Upper East Side.

The Community Board voted 23-15 against the expansion project that includes a zoning change to allow for a 395- to 436-foot tower on the hospital property.

Residents who are members of "the Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood" packed the meeting Wednesday night.

"We have zoning for a reason to protect our neighborhood, so we don't have to deal with this kind of thing. If you get rid of zoning and allow this, it sets a horrible precedent for other buildings. This just doesn't belong in a residential neighborhood," said Stacy Krusch, who is with the Committee to Protect Our Lenox Hill Neighborhood.

Daniel Baker, the president of Lenox Hill Hospital, told PIX11 News they have listened to the community concerns and shortened the tower from their 2019 proposal of 516 feet.

Baker said they need to build up however because "it's about the totality of the project, the renovation and modernization of our emergency department, to our ORs, to our ambulance bays and to all our rooms, so we're going from 450 beds to 475 rooms."

The Manhattan borough president will now consider the proposal and also has an advisory vote. It then goes before the New York City Council for a vote. If it passes, the mayor has five days to sign off on it.