Your Car, Sir. That Way To The Hospital

Visitors to Yale-New Haven Hospital may soon be hearing the words in the headline above as they pull into a lot that used to house an apartment tower.

City Plan Commissioners recently approved a temporary plan to turn the now empty lot at 904 Howard Ave., near the Children’s Hospital and the Smilow Cancer Center, into a valet parking facility for those coming to the hospital complex.

The land was formerly occupied by the crumbling William T. Rowe public housing development. In an unusual deal three years ago, the Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH) swapped that land — the building was subsequently razed and a new ​“Rowe” put up nearby —in an arrangement with the hospital and Trinity Financial. Read about that here.

The property was environmentally capped and has been idle, until now, said C. Brandford Bevers, the head of facilities design and construction for Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Because there is no immediate permanent plan for what to construct on the site, Bevers came before the commissioners for permission to use the lot for valet parking for the immediate future.

The plan is simple, he said: Cars will enter from Sylvan Avenue and exit onto Howard Avenue.

City Plan Commission Chair Ed Mattison expressed some concern. He asked when the hospital will decide the long-term use of the valuable property.

“We have no immediate plans at this point. Most of our efforts are focused on St. Raphael’s,” Bevers replied, referring to the hospital Yale-New Haven has taken over and turned into a Dwight/West River neighborhood campus.

“Parking lots do have some adverse impact. I worry if this goes on too long. I encourage you to come to a decision,” Mattison said.

“We will,” Bevers answered.

All that remains to be done to begin the service is to add some lighting and the little booth for the attendant, Bevers said.

Pro-Park will manage the service., he added.

The vote was unanimous.