SEATTLE -- Children's Hospital has just announced it is willing to scale back their planned expansion, reaching an agreement with Laurelhurst neighborhood groups who opposed their original plan.
The two sides announced the agreement before the Seattle City Council Wednesday morning.
Children's Hospital says it wanted to add 1.5 million square feet. That request has been reduced by 275,000 square feet and would scale back the project by nearly 18%.
The revised project will not expand the Children's Hospital campus across Sandpoint Way, as originally proposed. It also lowers the height limits and adds more setback space from the sidewalks.
One issue the agreement does not address is replacing housing that would be torn down. 136 units would be torn down.
This is a big deal since the two sides have been at odds now for about three years.
At previous Seattle City Council meetings, the chambers have been packed with people both in support and those opposed to the expansion of Seattle Children's Hospital, which included plans for a 2.4 million square foot development.
Summed up, the debate focused on size. Seattle Children's Hospital is located in Seattle's upscale and primarily residential Laurelhurst neighborhood.
The hospital originally wanted to expand from 250 beds to 600 by the year 2030. The plan called for the hospital to buy a nearby apartment complex, tear it down, and build new, even higher buildings.
They say they have to in order to accommodate the ever growing demand.
"We've had to turn away 79 kids this last year and our expectations are we will turn away 80 patients a day if we're not able to expand," said Lisa Brandenburg, Seattle Children's Hospital
But neighbors insisted was simply too ambitious.
"This is not an urban village where density is expected. This part of town cannot take an additional 8,000 cars per day," said Jeannie Hale, Laurelhurst Community Club.
Many people had assumed this case would likely end up in court, but it appears both sides have hammered out an agreement. The council has to give final approval to any hospital expansion.
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