Idylwylde pushes to have land rezoned for hospital parking

A deal to ease the parking crunch at the Sudbury hospital appears to be going ahead.

But while the Idylwylde country club is asking the city for permission to pave over part of its golf course, the agreement to sell the land to Health Sciences North is not yet final.

It's been nearly three years since Sudbury hospital officials revealed they were in talks with the neighbouring golf course.

Health Sciences North is short on land and on parking, having built the new hospital with an undersized space for parking. Originally, the hospital was thinking of building a parking garage, but is now planning to just add to the existing parking lot.

Both sides say there is an agreement in principle, but no one has signed yet.

Despite that, the Idylwylde has applied to the city to have a 9.5 acre strip of land re-zoned to allow parking, which will be voted on at city council in the coming months.

Health Sciences North already spent $1.2 million a couple of years ago to help its parking problem, and bought 200 spots on the other side of Paris Street.

Hospital employees continue to use the old General hospital lot further up Paris, which the city plans to turn into parkland, after the hospital is done with it.