This week's CAC meeting produced a clearer and ever-more intimidating picture of Alternative 7. The massive scale of this proposal (1.5 million square feet and multiple 160 foot towers) is best shown in pictures from the Hospital's PowerPoint presentation (excerpts below). Also helpful:
- The Northeast District Council's early review of Alternative 7
- The CAC Design Subcommittee's list of "Issues for CHRMC to Consider"
In the next two images, note the 1100-car parking garage and entrance on 40th, a narrow street where cars have trouble going in both directions simultaneously today:
Note the unprecedented 160 foot cap proposed for the entire Laurelon property, plus the narrow, 40 foot buffers facing residences on the north and south:
Bottom Line: Alternative 7 retains the scale of other alternatives and many of their impacts, even though these impacts are shifted substantially (this time towards neighbors in the lowlands). The addition of 1.5 million square feet (equivalent to the Columbia Tower) in the form of 160 foot towers will have unmitigatable impacts, particularly transportation bottlenecks and noise (among other things). Towers of this size, running 24/7, are not quiet neighbors.We're still asking -- is it really wise to concentrate all new pediatric beds for our region at a single, congested site? Why not add pediatric beds for non-specialized care in areas where youth populations are growing? What about adding a pediatric wing to an existing hospital, close to kids' homes?
