CITY GETS NEW HOSPITAL SITE JUDGE TO SET PRICE FOR PALMDALE MEDICAL-RESIDENTIAL CENTER.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A judge has awarded the city possession of a 30-acre site being sought for a hospital.

Superior Court Judge Randolph Rogers awarded the city ``prejudgment'' possession of the land while Palmdale pursues acquisition through its power of eminent domain.

``That's fairly routine in eminent-domain proceedings,'' said Michael Adams, Palmdale's housing director. ``That allows the government entity to start improvements on the land without waiting through a lengthy legal proceeding.''

The purchase price of the land, which has been appraised at $2.2 million, will be set by the court. It is owned by a family partnership based in Orange County.

The city deposited $2.2 million with the state treasurer as a guarantee it can pay the owners after the court sets the price.

An attorney for the family did not return phone calls Tuesday for comment.

After months of negotiations with the property owners, the city started eminent-domain proceedings last month to expedite the acquisition of the vacant land on Tierra Subida Avenue north of Avenue Q-8.

Palmdale officials hope they can begin improvements to the site in early 2003.

In a separate but related action, the city is helping the hospital developer, Universal Health Services Inc., acquire an additional seven acres for the project. Universal Health Services would pay the city for the land-acquisition costs, including any associated fees.

UHS determined that it needed the additional acreage after conducting initial design, architectural and engineering studies for the project, officials said.

UHS, a Pennsylvania-based firm that owns Lancaster Community Hospital, plans to build a 120-bed hospital that could later be expanded to 200 beds. The project would include 60 to 100 units of senior housing and a 50,000-square-foot professional-office building.

In August 2001, the council voted to approve $6.67 million in incentives for the project, including $3.9 million to acquire land and make site improvements.

UHS is planning to complete the hospital in late 2005. The housing portion of the complex will be built about 2004 or 2005. The office building was originally planned to be built in 2006 as the last piece of the complex.

UHS officials want to establish a presence in Palmdale as quickly as possible and could move the construction of the office building up to as early as next year, city staffers said.

UHS owns or operates 100 acute-care hospitals and centers for behavioral health services, ambulatory surgery and radiation oncology in 22 states and Puerto Rico. The company has two hospitals in California: the 80-bed Inland Valley Regional Hospital at Wildomar and the 96-bed Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrietta.

The company, based in King of Prussia, Pa., has 30,000 employees and net revenues of more than $2.2 billion.

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Proposed Palmdale hospital site