This evening at the Citizens Advisory Council meeting, a Seattle Times reporter tried to find out the community's thoughts on the Hospital's new proposal. Well, it's kinda hard to have an opinion about a proposal that the Hospital spent all day hiding from its neighbors (but not, of course, the press). As of 8:30pm, the proposal is finally posted.
We've excerpted from a letter sent by Jeannie Hale, President of the Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees, to the City leaders. Take a look at how the Hospital's "communications" department does community outreach:
Dear Mayor Nickels and Directors Chao and Sugimura,
This morning, the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) Board of Trustees learned that Children’s would be presenting two new alternatives for study in the environmental impact statement for its proposed expansion. We immediately emailed Children’s to ask for information about the plans so our land use consultant could review the plans prior to the Citizens Advisory Committee meeting tonight. Nothing was provided. In the meantime, we heard from three reporters about a media event that had been scheduled for 1:45 p.m. today. Still no word from Children’s. I showed up with another LCC trustee and one other neighbor. We were not allowed to attend the media event. Guards were on hand to keep us out.
Children’s told me that it was a private media event conducted on private property and we were not allowed to attend. It is remarkable that Children’s would consider a media event private. ...
We encourage you to do all you can to encourage Children’s to work with the Laurelhurst community and all neighbors.
