Introductory descriptive paragraph about the project.
St Joseph Hosptial Community Presentation — 5-3-06 (downloadable PowerPoint Presentation)
Building Rendering — View from Surf Street Looking Southeast
Building Rendering — View from Sheridan Looking Northeast
Zoning Analysis — April 20, 2006
|
FAR |
Height Limit |
Uses |
Sub-Area 1: East of Commonwealth |
|||
| Zoning Ordinance (Allowed) | 6.6 | No height limit | Residential and other public uses including hospitals |
| 2004 Hospital Proposed | 4.4 | 175 feet (entire Sub-Area) | Limited to health care related uses |
| Hospital Proposal (Negotiated) | 4.4 | 125 feet (North Parcel) 175 feet (South Parcel) |
Limited to health care related uses |
| Sub-Area 2: Surf Street Lot | |||
| Zoning Ordinance (Allowed) | 2.0 | No height limit for hospitals | Residential and other public uses including hospitals |
| 2004 Hospital Proposed | 4.4 | 190 feet | Limited to health care related uses |
| Hospital Proposal (Negotiated) | 3.2 | 125 feet | Limited to health care related uses |
| Sub-Area 3: West of Sheridan | |||
| Zoning Ordinance (Allowed) | 6.6 (North Parcel) 5 (South Parcel) |
No height limit (North Parcel) 80 feet (South Parcel) |
Commercial, residential, and other public uses including hospitals |
| 2004 Hospital Proposed | 4.4 | 150 feet (entire Sub-Area) | Limited to health care related uses |
| Hospital Proposal (Negotiated) | 4.4 | 150 feet (North Parcel) 80 feet (South Parcel) |
Limited to health care related uses |
* The overall allowable density for the Hospital’s properties is reduced by 587,506 square feet, which is a 30% reduction.
Saint Joseph Hospital IPD Most Frequently Asked Questions — May 3, 2006 1.
1. What is a Planned Development? Why now? What are the neighborhood protections? The proposed PD brings the Hospital into compliance with the current zoning code. This Hospital was "grandfathered" in without a planned development but is legally required to have one for any proposed development; hence the current proposal. According to the Chicago Zoning Code, Planned Developments: " Ensure adequate public review of major development proposals; " Encourage unified planning and development; " Promote economically beneficial development patterns that are compatible with the character of existing neighborhoods; " Allow flexibility in application of selected use, bulk, and development standards in order to promote creative building design and high-quality urban design. Saint Joseph Hospital submitted its application at the request of the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development per the direction of Mayor Daley to prevent a reprise of what happened to Columbus hospital. A Planned Development offers a community certainty about the development plans of an institution. Saint Joseph Hospital is committed to serving the City of Chicago and the Lakeview community into the future. The planned development articulates that commitment and offers significant protections to neighbors by; " Limiting the use of all properties to health care uses only, as opposed to the existing right to develop the property for residential and other uses; " Adopting height limitations for all of the hospital's properties, whereas only one of the hospital's 5 parcels currently has a height limit; and " Down-zoning parcels to reduce the developable square footage by more than one-half million square feet-a reduction of 30% or 587,506 square feet- from 1,910,024 sq. ft. to 1,322,518 sq. ft.
2. Describe the proposed development for the Surf Street Lot. See the presentation. [Link to presentation when an uncorrupted file bcomes available.]
3. Why are there not more details for the other parcels? Saint Joseph Hospital has no other development plans at this time. Anything not contemplated by this planned development must return to the Plan Commission for a public hearing, with attendant legal notice and community input.
4. How are you going to address increased traffic as it affects pedestrian safety? The driveways and intersections are laid out in accordance with typical City designs and clearances. The drop-off drive on Surf has clear sight triangle clearances on the driveway approaches to the sidewalk. The building is set back from the sidewalk at Sheridan-Surf and at Commonwealth-Surf, providing additional sight distance between motorists and pedestrians. All intersections in the area are either signal-controlled or stop sign-controlled, and will have appropriate corner clearance parking restrictions. The signal at Sheridan-Surf provides a protected southbound left turn arrow phase for vehicles approaching the development parking from the north on Sheridan, thereby facilitating this movement and reducing some of the potential conflict between turning vehicles and pedestrians at this intersection. The Hospital has also committed to replicate the efforts of the Traffic Sub-Committee of the Community Relations Committee to manage operational issues as they arise. Additionally, the Alderman's suggestion of the removal of parking along the southern portion of Commonwealth Avenue will aid in this regard.
5. Why should the community support an upzoning on the Surf Street lot? The property was initially downzoned as a placeholder. In 1973 the Plan commission passed a proposal to build 2 high rises on that property. Medical office buildings connected to hospitals are necessary for attracting the best and brightest doctors. Most all major health care institutions have such MOBs. In exchange for community support of the slight "upzone" on the Surf Street lot, necessary for the Hospital's viability, Saint Joseph Hospital is offering significant concessions to the community including those previously mentioned.
6. How many employees and visitor currently visit SJH and how many additional people are anticipated after the Mob is operational? Where will they park? Saint Joseph Hospital employs nearly 2,000 skilled workers with a payroll of more than $80 million. SJH impacts nearly 3,500 jobs throughout the Chicago area and its total impact on the income generated in the region's economy is more than $188 million per year. SJH supports over 35 physician specialties, with more than 600 physicians, and invests many millions of dollars in medical education. SJH annually provides care for over 250,000 patient visits, including: 1. 15,000 inpatient visits 2. 20,000 patients in the Emergency Department 3. 170,000 outpatient visits 4. 50,000 patient visits to SJH clinics-such as Laboure Health Center, Lakeview Health Center and Seton Family Health Center 5. Center for Healthy Aging provides benefits and programs for 1,000 older adults annually 6. Sponsors more than 200 free and discounted community health and education programs and screenings annually . The MOB is critical to the ability of SJH to attract even better physicians. The MOB will allow our docs, many of whom go off campus to see patients, to see their patients in the new building. So gross numbers are not going to increase exactly, but we can tell you that for the Stone Medical Building, which as an example is slightly larger than half the size of the proposed MOB, has 60 tenant suites, 125 physicians and 150 support staff. The MOB will have fewer than 100 tenant suites with 200 physicians (2 per suite) and 250 support staff (2.5 per suite). Not all of those will always be working at the same time. Many will be going between the Hospital and the MOB. The MOB will provide an additional 411 parking spaces. The parking provided in the building is intended for use by the employees and visitors to the MOB.
7. How will you make up for the loss of residential parking on Commonwealth and Surf? A neighborhood residential parking program will be provided to allow residential neighbors to park in the proposed garage at night and on weekends at a rate lower than charged at local commercial parking facilities. Similar programs exist at other hospitals, including Children's Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park.
8. What is the construction timetable and how much input will the community have in future developments? A construction timeline has yet to be determined. The hospital will communicate with its neighbors regarding construction management. The PD stipulates that any proposed development not initiated within 6 years results in the zoning reverting back to the original zoning (a so-called "Sunset" clause). As previously stated, any development or redevelopment not presented with full plans under this approval must go back to a public hearing before the Chicago Plan Commission.
9. What if the Planned Development is denied? The proposed PD brings the Hospital into compliance with the current zoning code. This Hospital was "grandfathered" in without a planned development but is legally required to have one for any proposed development; hence the current proposal.
10. Why is the skybridge necessary to connect the Medical Office Building to the hospital? The purpose of the bridge connection between the proposed MOB and the Hospital, similar to many institutions in the City of Chicago, including Northwestern Hospital, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, etc. is to provide a direct and vital connection for the movement of patients, doctors, staff, medical supplies and equipment between the two buildings to allow operations with minimal impact on existing street networks. The proposed connection connects directly to surgery and to the emergency room area of the Hospital which is vitally important in the event of an emergency in the MOB. We have studied an underground connection between the proposed MOB and the Hospital and find that it is not possible for the following reasons: 1. Below Commonwealth Avenue is a major city sewer line, which cannot be moved; 2. There is no basement in the MOB, making a tunnel connection virtually impossible to construct and to connect it to the Hospital basement, which is 19'-3.5" below the MOB first floor. The Hospital basement below Commonwealth contains the boiler room along with the mechanical, electrical and infrastructure support for the emergency room and other clinical services. There is no way to cross through this area or relocate these services. Additionally, there are no elevators connecting this basement area to the rest of the Hospital. There is also no possibility of constructing a new elevator shaft within the Hospital building.
11. Why is the loading dock situated so close to the stop sign? The north edge of the loading dock is located 43 feet south of the south property line of Surf Street, which is another 18 feet south of the south curb line of Surf. There is no southbound traffic on Commonwealth from north of Surf, so the only traffic which would be approaching the loading dock area from the north would be vehicles which have started from a stop on Surf, turned right, and proceeded at least 60 feet before encountering a maneuvering truck which might be backing into or pulling out of a loading dock. This is not materially different from a right-turning vehicle (often from an unstopped approach on a through street) encountering a vehicle backing into a parallel parking stall or backing out of a diagonal space only 20 feet from an intersection. Both situations are common throughout the City, and are safe operations. One would hope that a turning motorist, starting from a stopped condition on Surf would not only be able to see and stop for a truck 43 feet south of the intersection, but would also yield to a much smaller object---a pedestrian---crossing Commonwealth right at the intersection. What is the analytical basis for the belief that the loading dock is too close to the intersection? Providing a back-in loading dock operation on a low-volume, low-speed local street is an appropriate design, and the location of the dock in relation to the intersection is not a problem. The proposed removal of parking along both sides of Commonwealth, south of Surf (excluding diagonal), will also facilitate truck maneuvering at both the Medical Office Building and Hospital docks.
12. Can changes occur to the planned development without community support and what happens if the hospital is not viable in the future? Minor changes may be approved administratively but as previously stated, any development or redevelopment not contemplated under the current Planned Development must return for a public hearing. The approval of a Planned Development is a key component for ensuring the hospital's viability.
St. Joseph Hospital Medical Office Building