HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/16/2019 Item 1, HolyfieldTo whom it may concern:
This letter is in regard to the proposed massive expansion of French Hospital. I live and own a home
within 300 feet of this proposed expansion.
There are several issues the ARC is to review, but I am most concerned about 2 of these issues.
3.1C.1 Site planning, consider neighboring development, to evaluate this in "context of both the complex
(campus) itself and surrounding uses"
French Hospital is surrounded by residential neighborhoods. There is nothing in any of these
neighborhoods that is anywhere near the scale of these proposed buildings. And furthermore,
these proposed expanded buildings are larger than anything in downtown SLO. They do not
belong on this property. Period.
3.1.C.5 Site Planning, screening, "identify if any additional screening (landscape or structural) should be
incorporated into the project to decrease potential noise, visual, and privacy issues"
This is not in anyway achievable with the size and planned location of the buildings. There are two
groves of decades old trees that are on the site now. They are mostly on a lower grade than the
buildings, even if the whole site is not "Palomared" (as I expect it will be), they will not screen
these giant eyesores from the surrounding neighborhoods.
There is also no possible way that these structures can conform to the SLO Night Sky Preservation
Ordinance. As defined in the ordinance, Light Pollution is "the night sky glow caused by the scattering of
artificial light in the atmosphere".
As required by the FAA here are some of the lighting requirements for a hospital helipad:
1. It must be surrounded by raised green Omnidirectional lights all around the helipad.
2. There must bean ID Beacon that flashes 30-45 times per minute.
3. There must beat least one large windsock that is lit at all times.
4. Floodlights that illuminate the apron/landing surface.
All of these lights must be visible for a considerable distance, by law, so it is impossible for them not to
impact the surrounding neighborhoods. This is why I believe that those trees would end up being
removed. So there will be a giant ugly parking structure with a HELIPAD ON TOP, on a hill, in a residential
neighborhood.
As far as POTENTIAL NOISE, there is absolutely no possible way to fly a helicopter over the city and land
in a residential neighborhood without a terrible lot of noise. This is not a potential problem, it is an
intrinsic problem.
From the plans it seems that the idea is to put the giant parking structure, and the helipad on top,
backed up to the railroad tracks as if that solves any of the problems. Perhaps you are not aware, but
the tracks are not that wide in SLO and they run right through residential neighborhoods. To pretend
that backing these giant ugly buildings to the railroad tracks so that the gross visual, noise and privacy
violations only affect 'the tracks" is willfully ignoring the facts. The fact is that this will butt right up to
the Designated Historic Old Town and RailRoad Districts.
This proposed complex, with helipad is going to dominate the skyline of both of these neighborhoods as
well as most of SLO.
For those of us who live in these neighborhoods, own homes here and who have followed extra rules
and gone to extra expense and effort in the "protection,enhancement and preservation" of these
neighborhoods, this is a big middle finger to all of us. And proves that there is one rule for developers
and another for homeowners in this city.
This company, Dignity Health, is not a charity. It will not be providing free health care to our community.
There is no good reason to destroy the peace of so many people in the surrounding neighborhoods in
order for them to make more money.
This massive complex, built on a hill overlooking Old Town and the RR District, with a helicopter pad,
and all attendant lights and noise would certainly be "deterioration, damage and inappropriate
alteration" to these neighborhoods that are supposed to be protected.
Sincerely,
Jason and Jennifer Holyfield