Loma Linda council approves 5-story pediatric outpatient pavilion at university medical center

The Loma Linda City Council on Jan. 14 approved a precise plan of design application (P23‑180) and adopted a mitigated negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for a five‑story, 105,000‑square‑foot pediatric outpatient pavilion proposed by Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The project will be sited at the southeast corner of Anderson Street and Barton Road, on a 5.84‑acre parcel of which about 3.6 acres will be developed now; the council’s approval includes a condition requiring the applicant to improve ADA ramps and pedestrian access adjacent to the project site.

Lorena Materita, the city’s community development director, presented the proposal and explained the building would centralize pediatric outpatient services now spread across multiple campus locations. The plan shows a five‑floor building (90 feet tall) with about 150 exam rooms, surface parking for about 382 vehicles, vehicle drop‑off and loading areas, pedestrian pathways, and landscaping that staff says exceeds minimum landscape requirements. Materita told the council the project complies with the city’s development standards and that staff recommends approval contingent on the conditions in the staff report and the added ADA‑improvement condition.

University representatives answered council questions about parking and construction. Eric Schultz, vice president for planning, design and construction for Loma Linda University Health, said the applicant will shift parking during construction and monitor occupancy, adding that “we have 181 spaces open on a daily basis in the north side of P1” and that other structures and lots (including P3 and the Shepherdson lot) will provide temporary overflow. Schultz said the applicant expects about 17 months of construction, with an additional licensing period of roughly three to four months before full use; he also said the university plans to pursue a future adjacent parking structure as a longer‑term solution.

The council heard one written public comment from Kevin Bernard, a doctoral candidate in public health at Loma Linda University, who asked the applicant to consider additional sustainability, renewable energy and universal‑design measures. University staff told the council some sustainability features (solar and EV charging) are included but said items such as underground parking or LEED certification are not in the current scope and would significantly increase cost; they said the project is being funded through California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA) funds and the applicant is balancing stewardship of those dollars.

Council members discussed neighborhood impacts, construction parking logistics and accessibility. After discussion, a council member moved to adopt the initial study/mitigated negative declaration and mitigation monitoring and reporting program and to approve the precise plan of design application P23‑180 for the new five‑story medical office building, incorporating the staff‑recommended condition to improve adjacent ADA ramps; the motion passed.

The council’s approval is subject to the findings and conditions listed in the staff report and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program. The record includes the project environmental review (MND) and the mitigation program; staff noted a 30‑day public review period produced no comments requiring further study. The applicant and staff said they would monitor parking demand throughout construction and use shuttle services and reassignment of on‑campus spaces as needed to reduce off‑site impacts.

Construction timing, future parking, and any additional sustainability measures will return to the city or be addressed through subsequent permit and plan‑check processes, city staff said.