PANEL TELLS HOSPITAL TO REWORK PROJECT NEIGHBORS DEMAND CUTBACK OF EXPANSION.

Byline: Judy O'Rourke Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - City planning commissioners who are helping to shape a proposed expansion plan for Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital have told hospital officials to rework the layout to diminish its impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.

They expressed doubt that the plan will serve the future needs of the growing community.

``It's not going to meet the needs of the area 25 years from now,'' said Commissioner Tim Burkhart. ``Another hospital (on the east side of town) is probably a certainty, whether we approve this or not. The use is too much for this area.''

Tuesday, the commission hearing was packed with residents, many of whom had banded together to hire a private consultant to deliver their message and a scaled-down alternative plan to the panel.

``I think the Planning Commission heard the homeowner group loud and clear: Something about this project is not making sense,'' said John Lee, vice president of Burbank-based The Afriat Consulting Group Inc. ``You can't do development in a vacuum. It's not good policy.'' Lee has been hired jointly by residents of eight Valencia neighborhoods.

The master plan would allow the hospital to create a vision for long-term development. If the plan ultimately is approved by the Santa Clarita City Council, the hospital would not have to return to the Planning Commission and council for individual projects built within the larger plan. Architectural reviews would be held before buildings are constructed.

After considering a partial layout of buildings and parking garages, and hearing from noise and traffic experts about the mechanical plant, helicopter and siren sounds, and traffic volume, the commissioners asked the hospital to better addresses the residents' concerns about noise, glare and view issues, among others.

A hospital spokesman expressed optimism that a meeting of the minds is possible.

``We are a community hospital endeavoring to do a long-term plan for the growth of this valley,'' Jeff Lambert, the hospital's land-use consultant and a former Santa Clarita planning chief, said after the meeting. ``If we can focus on the specific impacts that people are concerned about, I believe we can address those impacts.'' He said an alternative plan that calls for a 50 percent reduction in improvements would ``not allow us to serve the community's growth.''

Lambert said the hospital could grow one building at a time, but it is an advantage to all parties to work from an agreed-upon template.

The environmental impact report, portions of which which will be revised, will reflect a corrected bed count, relocating a helipad to a parking structure on McBean Parkway and altering the western edge of the development. Commissioners requested alternate configurations of the facility, and information about the floor area ratio at other hospitals, and heating-air conditioning unit noise variables.

The commission will revisit the matter March 7.

Judy O'Rourke, [phone]

judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com