How many land use experts receive a raucous STANDING-O from a bunch of mild-mannered parents? Last night, Carol Eychaner, a well-respected planning expert, brought down the house with her blistering review of the Hospital’s “Towering” plan.
Community Alternative. At the end of the day, the Citizen’s Advisory Committee finally put community concerns on the table. It voted unanimously in favor of evaluating the Community’s Proposed Alternative in the Hospital’s EIS. We sincerely hope it isn’t so hard for community ideas to get on the agenda (and into the room) in the future.
Hospital’s Real Needs Revealed. Carol Eychner’s testimony brought down the house. Jaws dropped when she reported the position of the State Department of Health, the entity responsible for forecasting and regulating hospital beds. The DOH has ruled that Children’s Hospital needs only 65 additional beds over the time period under debate. The hospital’s proposal says it needs 250-300 more. Carol gave solid figures for how 65 beds could be added to the current site using the existing growth space already approved under the existing Master Plan (250,000 additional square feet).
“Equitable Distribution.” Recently, Children’s Hospital actually filed a complaint that the DOH has unwisely approved another hospital’s request for Too Many Beds in One Place. So 175 new beds for the rapidly-growing Eastside is unreasonable? Huh? Why does Children’s Hospital object to expansion of care throughout our region? Is the hospital looking out for its patients or its ego?
Packed House. 97 neighbors + over 25 Committee Members & Staff made for one tight fit in the Hospital’s preferred meeting “room” (a.k.a. sardine can). Kudos to the 40+ folks who survived the meeting on their feet. A frustrated pack of neighbors never even made it into the room or onto our head count-- the hospital staff turned them away. One man reportedly waited for 2 hours in the hallway until he was finally permitted into the meeting. Community pleas for a larger, accessible venue (the new Community Center or the Elementary School) had been turned down by the City, Hospital and CAC Board Chair.
Carol’s words followed a long series of thoughtful, well-researched comments by community members. Commentators were unanimously supportive of the hospital’s mission and aghast at the hospital’s short-sighted proposal.
We are heartened by the exceptional community involvement and growing receptiveness of the CAC to community concerns.
