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Planning commission holds large informational hearing on CPMC Long Range Development Plan; neighbors press concerns about size, traffic and services
Summary
CPMC presented design concepts for three campuses (Davies, St. Luke's, and Van Ness & Gary). While planners and many neighbors supported seismic upgrades and improved public realm, scores of residents, nurses and physicians voiced concerns about the scale of the Cathedral Hill hospital, traffic and transit impacts on Van Ness/Geary, and whether psychiatric and indigent-care services would be preserved.
At an informational hearing on May 11, the Planning Commission reviewed architecture, urban-design and streetscape proposals in the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) for three campus areas: a Davies neurosciences institute, a rebuild/expansion at St. Luke's, and a major inpatient and medical-office cluster at Van Ness & Gary (Cathedral Hill).
Planning staff framed the presentation as part of a multi-hearing series. The SmithGroup team showed renderings that emphasized stepped massing, new public plazas (notably a reopened San Jose Avenue plaza), green roofs and expanded sidewalks and street trees. Staff and CPMCasserted sustainability commitments and argued the plan would produce seismically resilient facilities that meet future medical needs.
Public comment was extensive and sharply divided. Supporters including architects, local employers, some nearby residents and construction and business advocates cited seismic necessity, green design, job creation and retail activation. Opponents included the Good Neighbour Coalition, Physicians Organizing Committee members and neighborhood associations who urged a smaller Cathedral Hill hospital (alternative 3a), argued that concentrating services there would worsen traffic and that St. Luke's should retain more beds and services (including psychiatric beds). Nurses and mental-health clinicians warned that reductions to psychiatric capacity and outpatient services would increase pressure on emergency services and county providers.
Commissioners and staff identified follow-up needs: clearer programmatic breakdowns (which services/beds are to be located where), an updated comparison to the Van Ness Special Use District limits, independent and detailed traffic and transit analysis tied to planned Bus Rapid Transit (Van Ness and Geary), and community-mitigation commitments; staff proposed additional hearings (June 9 informational items on the development agreement and transit updates, and subsequent sessions in July and August for entitlements and EIR certification).
Next steps: staff will provide additional material (program charts, comparisons to zoning and the Van Ness plan, Davies design history, and updates on BRT projects) and present an initial development-agreement outline at the June 9 informational hearing.
