New Model of Hospital Expansion To Be On Display And SAC Meeting On Monday

Children's Hospital will be having an open house tomorrow from 10-12 at the Laurelhurst Community Center, for the public to view the conceptual model of the proposed Phase I development, which is expected to begin early next year.

This is an opportunity to learn more about the development, hear about recent changes to the original Master Plan and have your questions answered by Children’s staff and architects from Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects.

One big change discussed at recent SAC meetings is the flipping of Phase l and Phase 3 developments. What this means to the neighborhood is that intensive development closest to neighbors would occur immediately, rather than a decade from now as originally planned and approved by the City Council.

The original plan called for construction of the first bed tower further north towards Sand Point Way in an area that would have the least impact on the nearby homes. The helipad and the emergency department were to be located to the north away from neighbors.

The proposed changes would move the helipad about 250-300 feet closer to neighbors along NE 45th. The impacts of the helipad atop the south tower facing homes—such as safety, turbulence, noise and light spillage have not been addressed.

The short street, used as a short cut to get to Sand Point Way behind Wells Fargo Bank, will be affected during and after the construction.

Above is a rendering of what the campus might look like when Phase l is completed in 2013.

You can view the Master Plan here.

A second open house will be held at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center next Saturday, July 31, from 10 a.m.- 12 pm.

For questions contact Lisa Brandenburg, Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President at 987-1468 or lisa.brandenburg@seattlechildrens.org.

And this Monday from 6 - 8:30pm is the next scheduled meeting of the SAC (Standing Citizens Advisory Committee) to be held in the Sound Cafe on the 5th floor at the hospital.

On the agenda is:

• the Master Use Permit (MUP) Application process and timeline
• presentation by Children's and discussion of the Phase 1 designs as provided to the City of Seattle for the MUP application
• status of Phase 1 designs and modifications made from the pre-MUP level design
• discussion by the SAC of their comments to the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) regarding the Phase 1 Master Use Permit (MUP) Application to be submitted to DPD

At 6:50 pm the public is invited to comment at the meeting (as always) so that the committee can hear the public's input as it finalizes its comments regarding the MUP.

(photo courtesy of Daily Journal of Commerce)