Pacoima Maintains Support for EIR

The Pacoima Neighborhood Council this week maintained its support for an environmental impact report (EIR) on the proposed expansion of Providence Holy Cross Hospital.

Providence had hoped that the Council would reverse its position at yesterday's meeting. But the Council said that any reconsideration would have to go through its land use committee, and directed the committee to conduct a 30-day study of Providence's environmental report.

PNC voted to support the hospital's expansion last year, but only if it conducted a full EIR. Providence has resisted the completion of an EIR, despite appeals from numerous community groups.

The neighborhood council's decision comes one week before a key vote on the company's proposed 136-bed, $143 million expansion. On July 26, the city's Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the project. If approved, the development could advance to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee followed by a hearing of the full City Council.

EIR a Must Says Sylmar

A grievance committee invalidated a recent vote by the Sylmar Neighborhood Council to support the Providence Holy Cross expansion without responsible environmental oversight.

The council now says it will support the hospital expansion only with the accountability ensured by an Environmental Impact Report, a position consistent with its original vote in January 2006.

"The SNC Land Use Committee and Board of Directors have clearly taken a stand in requesting that the Planning Commission require an E.I.R. be done before approving the expansion of PHCMC," said the statement from the grievance committee, noting that the council did not change its position after the first motion within the allotted time.

The grievance argued that the council's vote conflicted with two other previous decisions as well as the council's bylaws.

Numerous groups have expressed concern about the expansion of Holy Cross, arguing that the hospital must abide by the same rules as others to ensure that the project does not adversely affect the community.