No. 10-02
WHEREAS, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Facility provides skilled nursing care to 1,065 frail elderly and disabled adults and has traditionally served 1200 residents; and,
WHEREAS, Laguna Honda Hospital must be rebuilt to comply with federal licensing and reimbursement standards and to ensure that the facility meets seismic safety standards; and,
WHEREAS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (was formerly Health Care Financing Administration) has required the Department to reduce census at Laguna Honda to enhance resident privacy, and if Laguna Honda is not rebuilt at federal standards, then the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may seek further reductions in the Hospital’s census or decertification of the facility; and,
WHEREAS, projections indicate that there will be increased demand for skilled nursing care in San Francisco by the year 2010 and beyond, which supports the need to continue Laguna Honda Hospital as a vital component of the long-term care delivery system; and,
WHEREAS, assisted living is being proposed on the Laguna Honda Campus to ensure that the Campus has a range of housing opportunities, and to address a deficit in the number of assisted living/supportive housing opportunities for the elderly and disabled in the City and County; and,
WHEREAS, the replacement of Laguna Honda Hospital is not in conflict with the goal of caring for individuals in the community, whenever it is appropriate to do so, because the Hospital is designed for elderly and disabled adults who cannot be cared for in either their homes and/or community-based settings; and,
WHEREAS, the San Francisco Planning Commission, at its meeting of June 27, 2002 unanimously certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Laguna Honda Hospital Replacement Project, adopted findings pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and issued various approvals relating to the Replacement Project identified as Alternative Three (Partial Preservation Alternative); and,
WHEREAS, the Project FEIR files have been made available for review by this Commission and the public. These files are available for public review by appointment at the Planning Department offices at 1660 Mission Street, and are part of the record before the Commission; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at its meeting of June 27, 2002 unanimously approved a request for an Amendment to the Zoning Map to change the height district for the developable areas of the property from 80 feet to 90 feet and to adjust the boundary between the developable areas and the Open Space areas of the property; and,
WHEREAS, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission, at its meeting of June 13, 2002, and the Planning Commission, at its meeting of June 27, 2002 unanimously approved a determination of no significant shadow impact on Midtown Terrace Park from the construction of a proposed 7-story, 87-foot-high building on Clarendon Hill; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at its meeting of June 27, 2002 unanimously approved a request for Conditional Use Approval under Planning Code Section 271(a), for an exemption from the bulk requirement, and under Section 157, for parking exceeding accessory amounts; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at its meeting of June 27, 2002 unanimously found the Project consistent with the City’s General Plan; and,
WHEREAS, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, at an appeal hearing on August 12, 2002 unanimously affirmed the Planning Commission certification of the FEIR; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission has reviewed the FEIR and considered the Planning Commission Motion No. 16452 certifying the FEIR and finding the FEIR adequate, accurate and objective, and reflecting the independent judgment and analysis of the Planning Commission, and hereby relies on said FEIR as the basis for its determination; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission finds, based on substantial evidence in light of the whole record, that: (1) Alternative Three, the partial preservation alternative, is within the scope of development analyzed in the FEIR; (2) approval of Alternative Three will not require important revisions to the FEIR as there are no new significant environmental effects or substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; (3) taking into account Alternative Three and other changes analyzed in the FEIR, no substantial changes have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Project is undertaken that would require major revisions to the FEIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects, or a substantial increase in the severity of effects identified in the FEIR; and (4) no new information of substantial importance to the Project has become available which would indicate (a) the Project or the approval actions will have significant effects not discussed in the FEIR, (b) significant environmental effects will be substantially more severe; (c) mitigation measures or alternatives found not feasible which would reduce one or more significant effects have become feasible; or (d) mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those in the FEIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission has reviewed and considered the FEIR and, in its own independent judgment and analysis, hereby adopts the Findings attached hereto as Attachment A, including Exhibit 1 (Mitigation Measures) and Exhibit 2 (the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program), and incorporates the same herein by this reference; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission approves and adopts the proposed Project, Alternative Three (Partial Preservation Alternative) to build a 1,200 skilled nursing bed facility and 140 assisted living units; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Health Commission authorizes the Department of Public Health to complete plans for the proposed Project, construct the project as soon as possible, and take any and all actions necessary to diligently complete the Project.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the San Francisco Health Commission at its meeting of September 3, 2002.
Michele Olson, Executive Secretary to the Health Commission
Attachment A: Findings, Mitigation Measures, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program