2005/12/05 Council Agenda Packet

Planning Commission Meeting February 15, 2005 Page 17 the expansion plans. She told a story about a friend's father who went to PEMC because they were sick and was sent to Overlake because there were no beds available. The family lived in Snohomish and they had to go to Overlake to see their dying patient. The patient was then sent to Group Health in Seattle. She stated that this was not good care. The cancer doctor for that patient was in Everett that doctor knew that patient best and that was the doctor that is best able to care for that patient. She currently serves as chair of MSQRC, Medical Staff Quality Review Committee and she is very concerned about the quality of care we provide at Providence Everett. We want to provide good quality care — the best care is provided by your own doctor. As doctors we want to provide care to our patients and we need more room. In response to Mr. Kinzer's comments regarding that the property had been available for 4 years, well that just goes to show you that the hospital for four years been working hard to make something work and it has not happened yet so when we talk about due diligence or about the fact that we are moving too quickly, she can tell you that she has been here for 18 years and during that time we have been trying to get this done. The time is now, let's get this done. Bill Belshaw, 2111 Rucker Avenue, stated that he is a member of the Historic Everett group which was a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our historic resources through education and advocacy. The Historic Everett group agrees that the hospital needs to expand and that they recognize it is inevitable. However, they feel that the hospital has not explored other available opportunities that would reduce or prevent the substantial negative impacts on their neighbors to the East. He was amazed at the willing seller from the college who changed the options as the college property appears to be more available than ever. Another point that he wanted to make was that you can find as many things in the Comprehensive Plan that support preserving an affordable historic neighborhood. Given the hospital's determination to go East, he would like to suggest two mitigating actions that would contribute to saving and stabilizing the neighborhood: 1. No homes should be removed from block 248 until such time as the land is needed for the proposed hospital. Not just for a parking lot but when the hospital is ready to build. Holding off on the demolition of these homes would provide some valuable time to work together toward a more friendly neighborhood design and also some time to talk further to the college about using their land for parking and staging. 2. To try and not take away the 11 Donovan homes on the west side of Oakes and then if this happens sell them to someone who really wants to live in them. Leaving them in the buffer that was proposed instead of a linear park — put something that goes well with the neighborhood the neighborhood, itself. I think this is the kind of thing that will say to the neighbors; this is as far as we are going to go and not continue expansion to the East. Remember that this is a small unique group of historic homes that is a real neighborhood success story and historic district success story too. They are homes to community activist, who have worked with the City and businesses to stop the spillover from Broadway and also these are the homes of some historic preservationist who have been good stewards of their properties doing appropriate remodeling and restoration projects that have retained the original character of the neighborhood. These folks deserve our careful consideration of their concerns. Hopefully it will result in a masterplan that will allow the Donovan District to continue to be the asset that it has been to our community. Chris Knapp, 623 Maulsby Lane, stated that there are guidelines in the comprehensive plan related to preventing sprawl, intensifying the use of activities within their immediate footprint or