2005/12/05 Council Agenda Packet

h- The DEIS states "groundwater seepage should be anticipated." It does not indicate what happens to the soil from which the groundwater seeps. There's an increased potential for shifting or sinking in the surrounding residences, homes that used to rest on soil with higher water content than might exist after the seepage resulting from construction. 2. Air a. Emissions from the proposed plan in the DEIS do not make any mention of asbestos. Documentation from the State of Washington Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation dated 8.23.1993 indicates all homes in the Donovan District including block 248 contain asbestos (appendix 5). No documentation has been provided to demonstrate any proactive efforts to safely dispose of this toxic material. The hospital's own traffic study indicates that there would be an increase of approximately 1433 additional trips through the neighborhood each day. The present level is 3800 trips per day, indicating a 50% increase in traffic, and therefore emissions from vehicles. In addition, the long term construction outlined in the PEMC Strategic Phasing Plan will produce quantities of dust and other particulate matter over the course of the next 10-20 years, potentially resulting in breathing hazards for the neighbors. b. Although not mentioned in the PEMC DEIS, there are in fact frequent occurrences of foul and highly unpleasant odors emanating from the nearby waste water treatment plant. c. As previously stated, there is asbestos in the Donovan homes slated for demolition, and no mention is made by PEMC of how they plan to handle the removal in a safe manner. Nor do they specifically mention they manner in which they would reduce the particulate matter produced by long term construction. 3. Water b. Ground Water: As previously stated, most of the houses in the neighborhood have water problems in their yards and basements because drainage in the area is poor. In addition, PEMC claims that the sewage needs of their new facilities can be met by the existing infrastructure. This is a residential area; it stands to reason that the existing infrastructure is old and not built to handle the output of a large medical facility twice the size of the current operation. c. 1) Runoff: Runoff from the hospital area can be expected to increase with the elimination of water -absorbing permeable areas by increased pavement and development. Areas east of the hospital will be more prone to water runoff. 6. Energy and Natural Resources b- Institutional Overlay would provide PEMC the option of building a 175 -foot tower on block 248 in the future, with city approval. Any building taller than 3 stories would impact the quality and length of direct sunlight for those residences immediately adjacent to the property, and impact the view for houses farther east who lose their views of the sunset. As such, aesthetic impacts attributable to building mass, bulk and scale should be considered significant unavoidable adverse impacts. 7. Environmental Health