Pacific Heights Residents Association

September 2003

Hospital Neighbors Complain of Noise,
Traffic and Lack of Communication

Neighbors of the California Pacific Medical Center’s Pacific Campus gathered in August to hear CPMC’s plans for remodeling the hospital building on Buchanan Street, but one of the principal topics turned out to be CPMC’s record in communicating with the people around it.

Some expressed anger that they had heard of the meeting only by word-of-mouth.Tanya Farrell, the hospital’s Community Relations Director, said she had papered the neighborhood with flyers, but in the future will mail them to a list including apartment dwellers.

Others complained that CPMC is not a good neighbor. One cited the instance of a truck parking and making noise under residential windows at 6 a.m. Others noted that construction has aggravated the double-parking situation for shuttle vans. Neighbors want telephone access to CPMC management on a 24/7 basis to address work hour violations, staging of trucks and equipment and workers’ parking on an immediate basis.

Neighbors also want to know how CPMC will mitigate traffic issues with the increased patient use. They are concerned about radiation monitoring during installation and operation.

The current construction involves the cardiac unit, which will be completed in August 2004. Addition of a linear accelerator – it will be the hospital’s third – is awaiting city and state permits. Once permits are granted, that project will take one year. The hospital warned that some Saturday work may be necessary if weather interrupts the construction schedule. Residents were assured there is no danger from the accelerator; the project is lengthy because of the care taken in the installation.

CPMC executives subsequently presented traffic mitigation plans to the PHRA directors. Among them:

Installing a traffic light at Webster and Clay and building “bulb-out” on the sidewalk, so pedestrians cross in groups over a shorter space.
Lengthening white zones next to the garage entrance on Webster and at the hospital entrance on Buchanan (already done).
Reconfiguring drop-off points on Webster Street.
BART shuttles for employees and employee carpools have been increased.

CPMC expects its master plan for the complete rebuilding of the campus will be finished in July 2004.

PHRA’s CPMC Committee is headed by Paul Wermer (929-1680, paulhwermer@att.net).