Neighbors United Urge Citizen Attendance at Critical Sutter Hospital Meeting

 Sutter Makes their Pitch for their Billion Dollar Emeryville Hospital Complex Tuesday

Tuesday evening, July 21st, Sutter Health, will present their proposal for a controversial billion dollar hospital to be located at 53rd and Horton streets for the Council’s consideration. The Council will hear a lengthy presentation from Sutter but they will also allow citizens one or two minutes to opine on the 1.3 million square foot proposed trauma center complex.  

Emeryville’s newest citizen activist neighbor group, Neighbors United has been alerting the community about the impending meeting, putting up some 200 flyers around Emeryville and the surrounding community.  However most were quickly taken down by unknown vandals, probably in a coordinated effort, some members of Neighbors United report.

Emeryville resident Laura McCamy, a Neighbors United member, told the Tattler Sutter Health had lobbied the California legislature to pass AB 2231, a bill that would fast track hospital construction by removing environmental regulations but pushback from multiple sources, including State Senator Jesse Arreguin, makes an immunity from environmental regulation claim in Emeryville by Sutter unlikely.

Laura McCamy 
Long time Emeryville resident, community
activist and Neighbors United 
founding member.

 

Speaking about the rushed nature of the Sutter proposal, Neighbors United member McCamy said “The proposed hospital will have significant and potentially unmitigated negative impacts and should be given a full environmental review, with adequate time for residents to participate in the process.”

Sutter will bring an extra 20,000 vehicle trips per day to the Emerville site.  The main building will be 330 feet tall, Emeryville’s tallest and will feature a heliport with daily helicopter flights.  Emeryville's Planning Commission Chair Jordan Wax called the Sutter proposal "car focused" and a "broken promise" to the people of Emeryville.

The community meeting will be at Emeryville City Hall at 6:00 PM Tuesday and all members of the public will be afforded one or two minutes (at the Mayor’s discretion) to say their piece. 

NOTICE: This story was updated Monday at 8:45 PM after Ms McCamy clarified her information supplied by her to the Tattler.  The story reflects the changes.