Swedish Cherry Hill Medical Center Major Institution Master Plan Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (for internal City, Institution and CAC review only) Date Submitted: November 7, 2013 City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development The intent and purpose of this Draft Environmental Impact Statement is to satisfy the procedural requirements of the State Environmental Policy Act (RCW 43.21c) and City Ordinance 114057. This document is not an authorization for an action, nor does it constitute a decision or a recommendation for an action; in its final form it will accompany the final decision on the proposal. Introductory Memo This Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PDEIS) for the Swedish Cherry Hill Medical Center Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) has been prepared under the direction of the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD). The scope of this document has been determined in accordance with the scoping process required by the Seattle SEPA Ordinance (SMC 25.05.408). A public notice was issued on March 7, 2012, stating that the project would require an EIS and inviting public and agency comments on the scope of the DEIS. On March 21, 2013, a public meeting was held at Swedish Medical Center’s Education & Conference Center, First Floor - James Tower 550 17th Avenue, at 6:00 PM to provide opportunity for the public to discuss and identify probable significant environmental impacts that should be addressed in the EIS. The scoping comment period ended on April 4, 2013. Written comments were received from three individuals as of April 4, 2013. Twenty-six people made oral comments at the March 21, 2013 scoping meeting. The majority of the comments were directed at height, bulk and scale, traffic and transportation impacts, land use compatibility with surrounding residential uses, historic resources, impacts on public services and utilities, and impacts of construction. Based on scoping comments, DPD determined that the project had the potential to result in adverse impacts on the following elements of the environment: air quality, climate, water quality, height, bulk and scale, historic preservation, housing, land use, light and glare, shadows, noise and environmental health, traffic and transportation (including parking), and public services and utilities. There would also be potential impacts from construction (erosion, air quality, storm water runoff, noise and transportation (including sidewalk and street closures, pedestrian circulation, construction truck trips, haul routes, staging areas, construction worker parker demand, and impacts to transit stops and layover locations)). It is not anticipated that there would be a significant adverse impact on earth/geology (operation impacts), energy (usages of electrical and other forms of energy), and plants and animals, and these elements are eliminated from detailed study. Key environmental issues and options identified in this PDEIS are primarily potential impacts to land use, height/bulk and scale, traffic and transportation and, to a lesser extent, construction and operational impacts on the other elements of the environment listed above. Summary information regarding the project's effects on these elements of the environment is provided beginning on page vii. The lead agency is requesting review and comment on this PDEIS from the Institution, City Departments, and the Swedish Cherry Hill Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC). It is anticipated that the Draft EIS will be published in first quarter of 2014 and at that time, the lead agency will request review and comments from local, state and federal agencies and the general public. Swedish Cherry Hill MIMP Preliminary Draft EIS i The Final EIS will be used by the City of Seattle to inform various decisions, including: (1) whether the City will approve the proposed Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP); (2) whether the City will issue land use approvals and the nature of impact mitigation that may be required; and (3) whether to approve one or two street vacations. The 5 week comment period for this internal review begins on November 7, 2013, and ends on December 12, 2013. All written comments, questions or information should be directed to the Department of Planning and Development contact person, Stephanie Haines. Swedish Cherry Hill MIMP Preliminary Draft EIS ii Fact Sheet Project Title Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Campus Master Plan Proponent Swedish Medical Center Location The Swedish Cherry Hill Campus is located in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Seattle, between E Jefferson and E Cherry Streets, and to the east of 15th Avenue. The site address is 500 17th Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Proposed Action The Proposed Action is the Council land use action to adopt a new Major Institution Master Plan for Swedish Medical Center, Cherry Hill Campus. A rezone is required for expansion of the major institution overlay (MIO) boundary and a modification to MIO height limits. Proposal includes future street vacation of 16th Avenue between E Cherry and E Jefferson Streets. Lead Agency City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development. Responsible Official: Diane Sugimura, Director City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000 PO Box 34019 Seattle, WA 98124-4019 Contact Person: Stephanie Haines, Senior Land Use Planner City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000 PO Box 34019 Seattle, WA 98124-4019 Telephone: (206) 684-5014 Fax: (206) 233-7902 Master Use Permit No.: 3012953 Swedish Cherry Hill MIMP Preliminary Draft EIS iii Required Approvals Preliminary investigation indicates that the following permits and/ or approvals could be required for the proposal. Additional permits/approvals may be identified during the review process for subsequent future development. City of Seattle City Council - Council Land Use Action to approve a new Major Institution Master Plan - Council Land Use Action to approve a rezone to allow changes in MIO heights - Council Land Use Action to approve a Street Vacation (vacation of portions of 16th Avenue) Department of Planning and Development - Draft and Final EIS Approval - Approval of Transportation Management Plan (TMP) - Approval of Design Guidelines Date of Submittal of the Preliminary Draft EIS for Internal Review November 7, 2013 Agency, Institution, and CAC Review and Response This Preliminary DEIS is circulated only to the Institution, City Agencies and the CAC for a 5-week review period. Agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public will be invited to comment on the Draft EIS, anticipated to be published in the first quarter of 2014, however their comments are not being solicited on this Preliminary DEIS. Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on December 12, 2013. Written comments should be e-mailed to Stephanie Haines at DPD at [email protected]. Approximate Date of Issue of the Draft EIS Anticipated in the first quarter of 2014 Approximate Date of Issue of the Final EIS Anticipated in the third quarter of 2014 Approximate Date of Final Actions Final actions will include Seattle City Council approval of the Master Plan, rezone, and street vacations. These actions will follow the issuance of the Final EIS and are expected to occur in 2015. Swedish Cherry Hill MIMP Preliminary Draft EIS iv Document Availability and Cost When published in 2014, copies of the DEIS will be distributed to agencies and organizations noted in Chapter 6, Distribution List of this document. Copies of this document are not distributed for general public review as this is an internal review of a preliminary work product. The document is available electronically on DPD’s project permit website under project number 3012953. Authors and Principal Contributors to this DEIS The DEIS has been prepared under the direction of the Department of Planning and Development. Research and analysis was provided by the following consulting firms: URS Corporation (Environmental analysis and document preparation) 1501 4th Avenue, Suite 1400 Seattle, WA 98101-1616 SSA (Noise) 222 Etruria Street, Suite 100 Seattle, WA 98109 The Johnson Partnership (Historic Resources) 1212 NE 65th Street Seattle, WA 98115-6724 The Transpo Group (Transportation analysis) 11730 118th Avenue NE, Suite 600 Kirkland, WA 98034-7120 Location of Background Data City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000 PO Box 34019 Seattle, WA 98124-4019 Swedish Cherry Hill MIMP Preliminary Draft EIS v Elements of the Environment The following is a list of elements of the environment set forth in Chapter 25.05.444 of the Seattle Municipal Code. During the scoping process, the Department of Planning and Development evaluated the project’s potential for adverse impacts on each of these elements. Consideration was given to both construction and operational impacts. The items marked “reviewed” are discussed in Chapter 3 of this EIS. These items were identified as a result of the scoping process carried out in compliance with Section 25.05.408 of the Seattle Municipal Code and were determined by the Department to have potential significant adverse impacts. Items marked “not reviewed” do not have impacts, or have impacts that were deemed nonsignificant and are not discussed in the EIS. I. Natural Environment (a) Earth (i) Geology and Soils Not reviewed (ii) Topography Not reviewed (iii) Unique physical