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Astoria council approves street vacations and campus agreement to expand Columbia Memorial Hospital
Summary
The Astoria City Council approved vacating portions of streets adjacent to Columbia Memorial Hospital and a campus agreement that conveys city parcels and terminates a parking lease, steps officials said will support a $300 million hospital expansion while preserving public utility access.
Astoria’s City Council on June 15 voted unanimously to vacate portions of Franklin Avenue, 20th Street and 22nd Street adjacent to Columbia Memorial Hospital and to approve a campus agreement transferring specified city parcels to the hospital to support an expansion.
City manager Scott Spence told the council the street vacation does not remove public access or utility rights but is intended to create a cohesive campus feel to support an approximately $300 million expansion of the hospital’s footprint. Staff said the city negotiated reservation language preserving the city’s right to enter for repairs and a termination payout of roughly $232,000 to recognize lost lease revenue tied to a long-standing parking lease.
“These actions complete the unified campus concept and buy out a sustained lease agreement for the parcels we refer to as the trisplots,” said Molly Lane, project director for the CMH Expansion Project, in testimony supporting the measures. “This will help patients, visitors and emergency services recognize when they’ve entered the CMH campus.”
Councilors praised staff coordination. Councilor Nelsa Davis thanked project managers for outreach and clarity on the project timeline, while other councilors said the campus agreement strengthens emergency access and long-term operations. The council adopted the street vacation ordinance on second reading by roll call and then approved the campus agreement in a separate motion.
What happens next: staff will finalize conveyance documents and coordinate with utility providers under the agreement’s access reservations. The council and staff said they will monitor implementation to ensure the city’s ability to perform emergency repairs is preserved.
