Rob Brueck speaks at the Jan. 16 scoping meeting for the new Barton hospital project in Stateline.
Eli Ramos| Tahoe Daily Tribune
Water quality, wildlife, helipad noise, and scenic quality were among some of the many concerns of those attending last week’s scoping meeting for the new Barton Hospital location.
A public comment period on the project is open until Jan. 31. Written comments can be emailed to BartonProject@trpa.gov or mailed to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency office.
Critics of the plan to move the hospital to Stateline on the site of the former Lakeside Casino turned out to share their concerns about the project.
Rob Brueck, who has worked on several projects including the Tahoe Blue Event Center, was the lead presenter regarding the environmental analysis. To build the hospital, there have been proposed amendments to the South Shore area plan, which would add a healthcare subdistrict, allow additional height, and modify permissible uses of the area.
Douglas County commissioners would hear those amendments after the environmental analysis of the project is completed.
According to the timing presented at the meeting, the scoping report would be completed in late February with a draft analysis done in May or June, officials said.
Hearings on the South Shore Plan would occur in late summer, which would include sessions before the Douglas County Planning and County commissions. County commissioners approved proposed revisions to the South Shore Area Plan excluding the Barton proposals on at their Jan. 16 meeting. A height limit of 56 feet was confirmed for the area where Barton officials have proposed 85 feet for the new hospital.
Last week’s meeting started with general questions, but tempers flared as some attendees questioned if they could trust TRPA, commented that the area plan was bending to accommodate Barton, and the matter of property taxes arose. Others pointed out the impact that proposed additional height would have on the scenic corridor and the surrounding neighborhood, as well as the potential impact on wildlife and fire evacuation in the region.
Some suggested that there be a comprehensive environmental impact study done in the Basin as a baseline, while others requested a more detailed methodology and failure modes and effects analysis to be included.
“We need to hear from the community to effectively modify the plans — these are going to change as we gather more information from the community and from the environmental analysis,” said Barton Director of Community Benefit and Business Development Chris Proctor.
Brueck told the Tahoe Daily Tribune that so far, the biggest feedback has been on the height of the hospital, which is proposed to be 85 feet when the current allowable height is 56 feet. Other points of concern have been water quality and groundwater, the scenic impact, noise pollution, and neighborhood compatibility.
Proctor told the Tribune that he understood residents’ concerns that the current proposal is what will be built. However, he said Barton and the other partners have been making active effort to capture the trends, themes, and concerns that have been brought to them.
Barton’s proposal to build higher than code allows is that groundwater on the site prevented them from building down.
“We really want to build a facility that matches our great providers,” said Proctor.
