Planning commission approves West Covina Medical Center behavioral-health addition, certifies mitigated negative declaration

The West Covina Planning Commission voted 4-0 on Tuesday to approve a four‑story, 42,000‑square‑foot behavioral‑health addition to West Covina Medical Center at 725 South Orange Avenue, certifying a mitigated negative declaration of environmental impact and granting a precise plan, a conditional use permit and a variance for parking.

The approval includes specific conditions the commission added: require rehabilitation of the landscaping on the parking lot across Orange Avenue, return to review parking in two years (or earlier if complaints arise), and allow the owner to make available more than 10 beds to West Covina if the city requests that capacity. The project was approved by roll call: Vice Chair Becerra, Commissioner Castellanos, Commissioner Lewis and Chair Haines all voted “aye.”

Staff and the applicant said the project converts existing medical office space into an inpatient psychiatric unit attached to the existing hospital. Joanne (planning staff) told commissioners the site is 2.83 acres and the addition is about 42,000 square feet. The expansion would increase the campus to roughly 103,000…