Swedish Medical Center CAC Votes “Not Minor Amendment”
On November 18, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Swedish Medical Center, Cherry Hill campus (formerly Providence Hospital) voted to recommend to the Department of Planning and Development that changes requested by Swedish and the Sabey Corporation to the Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) not be considered a “minor amendment.” The campus area in question is the west half of 18th Avenue between E. Jefferson Street and E. Cherry Street. (More details about the current MIMP and the Swedish/Sabey proposal can be found in the October issue of the SPCC Newsletter and at www.CentralDistrictNews.com, search for Swedish Medical Center for several stories.)
The CAC vote is simply a recommendation and is not binding on the DPD, which will judge the Swedish/Sabey proposal by the standards for a “minor amendment” as defined in the Seattle Municipal Code. Of relevance to that decision is the fact that, when DPD issued a decision allowing the postponement of a new MIMP and the continuation of the current plan beyond its expiration date, the decision stated that “if the Hospital chooses to develop in a manner substantially different from that identified in the Master Plan, it would have to either propose a major amendment to the Plan or draft a new Master Plan.”
Review of the institution’s plans as a “major amendment” would not mean that it could not develop on 18th Avenue. However, it would be necessary to go through the process required of hospitals and universities expanding in residential neighborhoods culminating in City Council review.
—Bill Zosel