Senate committee advances bill to speed CEQA review for Sutter Health Emeryville hospital

The California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Oct. 25 advanced SB 830 on a 5-0 roll-call vote, agreeing to concur in Assembly amendments that would provide a streamlined judicial review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for Sutter Health’s proposed Emeryville hospital campus.

Senator Ereguene, who presented the bill to the committee, said SB 830 would designate the city of Emeryville as the lead agency for CEQA review and create a CEQA streamlining pathway for the project. “This bill will establish a CEQA streamlining process for Sutter Health’s new hospital campus in Emeryville and would designate the city of Emeryville as a lead agency for CEQA review,” Senator Ereguene said.

The bill’s sponsors and supporters told the committee the project is intended to replace acute-care services lost when Doctors Medical Center closed in 2015 and to offset the planned 2030 closure of Alta Bates, preserving access to care in the Northern East Bay. “We cannot afford to lose healthcare access in the Northern East Bay Area,” Senator Ereguene said, adding the Emeryville campus would offer comprehensive care “within a 15 minute drive from home or work.”

Joe Greggert, vice president of state government affairs for Sutter Health, testified in support on behalf of the sponsor. “We are very committed to our project in Emeryville in the East Bay in the Senator’s district, and we believe that this is an important step to, being able to build that hospital as quickly and expeditiously as possible,” Greggert said.

Supporters described several conditions Sutter Health must meet to receive the expedited judicial review, including agreeing to a community benefits agreement with the city of Emeryville, designing the project to be net-zero, and creating 500 construction jobs. Committee discussion and testimony also emphasized sustainability standards such as LEED certification and reduced vehicle miles traveled as elements of the project’s environmental leadership.

Chris McCailey, speaking for the Civil Justice Association of California, also voiced support during the hearing.

The bill’s record in the Assembly was referenced by the sponsor; Senator Ereguene said SB 830 passed the Assembly 79-0. During the committee’s proceeding, a senator noted the project cost is estimated at more than $1,000,000,000.

The committee initially convened without a quorum and recessed; after reconvening the committee called the roll and took the vote. The motion recorded on the committee floor was that the Assembly amendments be concurred in; the motion carrier was identified in the transcript as Senator Mangivar. The roll-call recorded ayes from senators listed as Blake Spear, Gonzales, Minjivar, Perez and Reyes, producing a 5-0 approval. No second was recorded in the transcript.

The committee chair said the bill is now out of the Environmental Quality Committee. The bill would provide judicial streamlining to projects that meet the bill’s environmental and community-benefit conditions; it does not itself build the project and would not substitute for the CEQA review and mitigation obligations the sponsor and others described.

Background material cited at the hearing included the California Environmental Quality Act and the bill’s Assembly amendments. The sponsor and supporters framed SB 830 as a district bill aimed at preventing a gap in hospital services as Alta Bates is slated to close in 2030 and in light of the earlier 2015 closure of Doctors Medical Center.

Votes at a glance: SB 830 — Motion to concur in Assembly amendments: Aye 5, No 0, Abstain 0; outcome: approved by committee and advanced out of the Environmental Quality Committee.