Published:
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Ignores Community, Environmental Concerns With Planned Expansion of Mission Hills Facility
LOS ANGELES, May 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Providence Holy Cross
Medical Center (PHCMC) today went ahead with the planned expansion of its Holy
Cross Medical Center even as Superior Court Judge Thomas I. McKnew, Jr. has
upheld charges that the approval process was significantly flawed. The
groundbreaking ceremony held today appears to be an attempt to create
"facts-on-the-ground" that would complicate a likely requirement for
Providence to complete an Environmental Impact Review before the project is
properly approved.
The Community Advocates for a Responsible Expansion (CARE) Coalition, a
group of community, church and environmental groups from the San Fernando
Valley, has been engaged in the process to ensure that PHCMC's irresponsible
actions do not result in significant unmitigated environmental impacts. "We're
for the expansion but we can't support the proposal until they do an
environmental mitigation," said CARE Coalition member Wayde Hunter.
The hospital is breaking ground even though an 8-5 majority of the City
Council voted in November to require an Environmental Impact Report. Judge
McKnew has already rejected the hospital's argument that the City was free to
consider this vote an approval of the hospital's expansion because of a rule
in the City's municipal code requiring a two-thirds vote of the City Council
to uphold environmental appeals. The litigation is likely to result in
overturning the hospital's permission to go forward as well as the City's
rules for handling environmental appeals.
Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, whose district includes the
Mission Hills area where the hospital is located, continues to lead efforts to
ensure PHCMC respects the local community's concerns in regards to the
hospital expansion. Said Councilman Alarcon, "I am disappointed that Holy
Cross has decided to move forward with construction, not withstanding the
pending case and particularly statements by Judge McKnew that are favorable to
the CARE Coalition's position. My goal has always been protecting the
environment and quality of life in the surrounding community. Holy Cross
should have waited for the outcome of the pending case before breaking
ground."
CARE's repeated attempts to raise their concerns with PHCMC have been met
by a media and legal campaign designed to hold the huge health care provider
unaccountable to community input. Said Hunter, "We're angered that Holy Cross
is doing this, I think it reflects their total disregard for the community.
I've never dealt with anyone as intractable as this company." Regardless of
today's development, however, the Coalition will continue with their efforts
to bring the approval process into compliance with CEQA guidelines.
Media Availability: Wayde Hunter, President of the North Valley Coalition
of Concerned Citizens, and CARE Coalition member, will be available for press
requests. He can be reached at 818.363.3597.
SOURCE Community Advocates for Responsible Expansion
Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze,
Daily NewsTags: Environment, Healthcare, , california
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