Tomorrow Children's Hospital Next Phase Of Development Update

Tomorrow night from 6-8pm, the SAC (Standing Advisory Committee), made up of representatives of Children’s Hospital and surrounding neighborhoods, will hold its 21st meeting in the Ocean Café of the hospital.

The SAC advises the City and Children’s Hospital on issues related to the design and construction of new buildings and other projects under the City approved Children’s Hospital Major Institution Master Plan.

Agenda items include:

• New member introductions
• 2017 MIMP Annual Report
• Forest B Update (new 8-story building to be built over next 2 years)

Public comment will be at 7:05pm. All SAC meetings are open to the public. Those interested in any of the topics on the agenda are encouraged to attend.

Updates On Center for Spiritual Living, Talaris and Apartments at 40th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street On Monday's Hospital Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda

Monday night from 6-8pm, the SAC (Standing Advisory Committee), made up of representatives of Children’s Hospital and surrounding neighborhoods, will hold its 18th meeting in the Ocean Café on the 7th floor (Ocean entrance) of the hospital. 

The SAC advises the City and Children’s Hospital on issues related to the design and construction of new buildings and other projects under the City approved Children’s Hospital Major Institution Master Plan.

 

Agenda items are:

• Updates on: Center for Spiritual Living, Talaris and Apartments at 40th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street
• MIMP Conditions
• MIMP Annual Report
• EIS Addendum Process and what will be analyzed
• SAC role in design review process
• MUP Package review

Public comment will be at 7:35pm.

 

All SAC meetings are open to the public. Those interested in any of the topics on the agenda are encouraged to attend.

New Proposed Hospital Entrance On Narrow 40th Avenue NE Draws Serious Safety And Traffic Flow Concerns

Last month, the SAC (Standing Advisory Committee), made up of representatives of Children’s  and Hospital and City representatives held a meeting on  issues related to the design and construction of new buildings and other projects under the City approved Children’s Hospital Major Institution Master Plan.

The meeting focused on the design of upcoming construction of the 293,000 sq.ft building, named the Forest B Building, which will be located on the existing surface parking lot at an angle to Building Hope, recently completed. 

The front entrance will be on the narrower street, 40th Avenue NE instead of Sand Point Way, of which SAC members brought up their concerns.

Three floors of parking (241 stalls) will be added under the new building. The helistop will move to Building Hope temporarily and then to the roof of the new building.

The Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) published this information in their recent newsletter:

New Children’s Hospital’s  Parking and Entrance Proposals

Seattle Children’s Hospital’s proposed Forest Building B, slated for construction 2017-2019, will add 293,000 square feet. This is allowable under their current Major Institution Master Plan and its phasing.

However, plans for a new underground garage and a shift of the hospital’s main entrance, both accessed from 40th Avenue NE, present serious concerns. Page 10 of the Design Guidelines under “Parking and Vehicle Access,” addresses entrances in the MIMP.

Neighbors and the Standing Advisory Committee already have noted that relocating the main entrance from Sand Point Way to 40th Avenue NE is of major concern. Backups already occur both on this short street and at the NE 45th Street stop light when buses and shuttles turn in either direction off/onto 40th Avenue NE. This street often queues up throughout the day, and can require several light cycles to crossing through it.

SCH Phase 2 proposes to add more cars from the new parking garage entrance/exit, exacerbating the existing tight conditions. In addition to patient drop offs, extra delivery trucks will supply the relocated cafeteria.

All of these new entrances/exits for additional functions would impact the capacity and efficiency of 40th Avenue NE for all other users. This street was originally designed as a residential street along the now-demolished Laurelon Terrace condominiums.

40th Avenue NE has a capacity about the length of 12 vehicles. It is already heavily used by SCH for access to: the main Emergency entrance for patients and ambulances, an ED parking lot, primary truck deliveries, and the SCH employee shuttle system.

Sandwiched between Sand Point Way NE and NE 45th Street., 40th Avenue NE, is a main access street to Laurelhurst Elementary and Villa Academy students, staff, and faculty. This short street also serves the residential neighborhood as a major crossing to the Fire Station on 40th Avenue NE /NE 55th Street, access to the northeast businesses (such as the Metropolitan Market), and is controlled by a long stoplight.

The corner intersections are also very dangerous points for pedestrians and bicyclists. Vehicular traffic is coming fast down the steep NE 45th St. hill, as well as along 40th Avenue NE off Sand Point Way NE.

LCC had voiced concerns about the safety of the intersection of 40th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street before the Master Plan was approved. LCC had met with both SDOT and SCH to discuss the intersection in the planning process of the first phase.

LCC’s Settlement Agreement with SCH (before the Major Institution Master Plan) required SCH to avoid excess use of 40th Avenue NE.

Looking from a wider perspective, LCC is concerned about the cumulative effects of traffic volume and congestion on the neighborhood’s transportation needs and its access to major roads and highways. The neighborhood is essentially surrounded by Sand Point Way NE / NE 45th Street and Montlake Boulevard. The ability to move along these routes is essential.

Those additional impacts on transportation include:

• The University of Washington’s 20-year expansion plan of 12.9 million new square feet. Student/faculty/staff are expected to increase by 20 percent over the next 20 years.
• The University District Upzone, which could triple the U-District population over the next 20 years.
• The planned University Village expansion, which will bring increased numbers of shoppers and diners to an already busy area.

All of this projected growth will have a cumulative effect on traffic through Montlake Boulevard, Pacific Avenue, 25th Avenue NE, NE 45th Street, Sand Point Way, and the surrounding streets. 

LCC wants a new, comprehensive traffic study – including all of the projected growth along this corridor over the next 10 to 20 years – conducted by Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Seattle Department of Transportation. The study should be done as soon as possible so that new data are available before considering the addition of more vehicular traffic on 40th Avenue NE, as proposed.

To support the new services offered by SCH in Phase 2, better transportation access for patients, families, medical professionals, and staff need to be addressed, along with the requirement to preserve access for adjacent neighborhoods and local businesses in Laurelhurst and Bryant.

Seattle Children’s Hospital will present its plan to the Laurelhurst Community in January. Details of the meeting date and time will be announced in the Laurelhurst Blog and through LCC’s Constant Contact network.

To comment now on SCH Phase 2 plans or impact concerns, please email: todd.johnson@seattlechlidrens.org, with a cc to schcomments@gmail.com. 

Apply Now To Fill Open Positions On Children's Hospital Standing Advisory Committee

 

 

 

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is seeking interested people from the Laurelhurst, Montlake, and Ravenna/Bryant neighborhoods to fill 4-8 vacant positions on the City appointed Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) to advise on development plans for Seattle Children’s Hospital as outlined in the Children’s Hospital Major Institution Master Plan  approved in 2010.

Applications are due by November 9th.

The SAC is made up of 15 members and about 4 alternates.
 

The information says: 

 

The Children’s Hospital Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) meets to:

1.         Review an annual report from Children’s Hospital on its development;

2.         Review and comment on progress under its transportation management plan;

3.         Review requests for amendments to Children’s Hospital’s master plan, and make recommendations for next steps;

4.         Provide comments on projects under development.

 
The committee meets at least annually and up to four times per year at Children’s Hospital. You would serve a one-year renewable term. Members of the Committee should possess expertise or experience in areas such as: neighborhood organization and issues; land use and zoning; architecture or landscape architecture; economic development; building development; or educational services. The committee is composed of 15 representatives, including a non-management representative from Children’s Hospital, from the following categories:
 

1.         A representative of an area community group or council.

2.         A resident who is within 600 feet of the campus boundary.

3.         A neighborhood resident defined as a resident within the boundaries of the adjacent community council areas.

4.         A property owner.

5.         A business person.

6.         A consumer group using the services of the institution.

7.         A person participating in neighborhood planning.

8.         A general community or citywide representative.

 

 

Maureen Sheehan from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods who replaced long-serving DON staffer, Steve Sheppard after his recent retirement, told the Laurelhurst Blog staff that there have been many long-time volunteer members, and some have chosen not to participate or have moved out of the area and the City is looking to back fill those vacant positions.

 

Todd Johnson, Children's Hospital Vice President, Facilities and Supply Chain, told the Blog staff:

The Seattle Children’s Hospital Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) has many long-standing members.  Most of them have been on the committee since we began our work on the Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) back in the mid-2000’s.   

The committee members represent the communities around the hospital, and the community at large, as we developed and now monitor a major institution master plan that anticipates and responds to the hospital’s growth needs over the next 20+ years.   

It was hard work and, even after the MIMP was approved in 2010, many of the committee members have continued to serve on the SAC.   

It’s a natural thing that people are now moving on.  We thank Richard Arthur, Doug Hanafin, John Pieroth, and Robert Rosencrantz for their service to the community and the hospital.  They have each made the decision to depart the committee.   

The other members remain, although we’re still awaiting responses from two more people, both of them alternates.   

We are not seeking to increase the size of the committee.  15 members are required, and it is always good to have alternates, which is why the Department of Neighborhoods news release seeks four to eight volunteers.

 

Continuing SAC members are:
Karen Wolf
Catherine Hennings
Myriam Muller
Dolores Prichard
Kim Dales
Dr. Gina Trask
Wendy Paul
Josephine Pompey
Bob Lucas
Theresa Doherty
Shelley Hartnett
Judith Nelson

To apply to be on the committee,  send a letter of interest by either e-mail or regular mail by November 9 to Maureen.Sheehan@seattle.gov or send regular mail to:
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
P.O. Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649
 
For more information contact Maureen Sheehan, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, at 206-684-0302.

On December 7th there will be a SAC meeting, starting at 6pm  in the Ocean Café at Seattle Children’s Hospital.  The public is invited to attend.    

Hospital Standing Advisory Committee Meeting Tonight, Public Invited

The Seattle Childrens Hospital Standing Advisory Committee is holding its ninth meeting tonight from 6-8pm (in the Sound Cafe- Whale Zone, 5th floor) in conjunction with Children's Hospital Staff and the Department of Neighborhoods.

The public is invited to listen and to give feedback specifically at 7:55pm.

The SAC is made up of representatives fromthe Hospital staff, residents from various neighborhoods near and far and the group advises the City and Children’s Hospital on the development that is occurring under the provisions of the Children’s Hospital Major Institution Master Plan.

The agenda is:

• Housekeeping - Approval of Agenda/Minutes for Meeting (Committee)
• Committee Distribution and Master Plan Annual Report and SDOT Submissions (Children’s Staff and Consultants)
• Project Updates - Phase 1 Construction/40th & SPW Signalization/Replacement Housing/Emergency Department Planning (Children’s Staff and Consultants)
• Report on Ambulatory Care Needs (Children’s Staff and Consultants)

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