New York Town Postpones Decision on Building New Abortion Business 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 11, 2007
Kingston, NY (LifeNews.com) — City planners in this southeastern New York town have postponed a decision on whether to allow the construction of a new abortion business there. The Planning Board in Kingston agreed an abortion center wouldn’t harm the city’s environment but delayed a final decision until January.
The board didn’t delay because of an ideological objection to the abortion center. Instead, city planners want Kingston Hospital, which is building the abortion business, to submit more information.
City officials want to know more about drainage, utilities and landscaping before committing to support the site plan approval and a special permit, according to a report in the Daily Freeman newspaper.
Once approved, construction of the Foxhall Ambulatory Surgery Center abortion facility will proceed.
The Kingston and Benedictine hospitals are completing a merger and that will result in the building of a center doing abortions and legitimate medical services.
Abortion has been an issue that caused problems in two previous merger attempts because Benedictine, a Catholic facility, does not do abortions while Kingston does.
The state eventually mandated the merger and said the abortion center can be near but not in the merged hospital.
Though the city planning board is only concerned about engineering issues, local residents spoke out at the meeting and said they don’t want a new abortion business built in their community.
Connie Venditti of Ulster Park said he objected to the new abortion center because it will be connected with Kingston Hospital and should be run separately from a legitimate medical center.
"This was supposed to be separate," Venditti said. "This plan shows a connection."
Before the meeting, Kingston Mayor James Sottile told the Daily Freeman newspaper he hoped it wouldn’t become an endless abortion debate.
He admitted discussion of the building plan may draw strong opposition because "it is an emotionally charged issue, and may be hard to avoid."
According to the newspaper, the 7,000 square foot abortion center will be behind the hospital and it will be twice the size officials previously said.
The state of New York will pay the $4.1 million cost of building the abortion facility.
It is expected to be built in the parking lot behind Kingston Hospital. An enclosed walkway will separate it from the hospital.
ACTION: Contact the Ulster County Planning Board and urge strong opposition to approving the building plan. Contact officials on the board at: 244 Fair St, Kingston, NY 12401, or call
(845) 340-3340 or fax a letter to (845) 340-3429. You can email [email protected] and a list of board officials can be found at https://www.co.ulster.ny.us/planning/about.shtml.
