TO: Oakland City Council and Members of the Public FROM: City Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Carroll Fife SUBJECT: Healthcare Facilities Pill Hill Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Resolution DATE: December 5, 2024 RECOMMENDATION Adopt: A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR OR THEIR DESIGNEE TO STUDY AND PRESENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ULTIMATELY THE CITY COUNCIL, A PLANNING CODE AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING A ZONING OVERLAY OR SIMILAR PLANNING MECHANISM THAT REQUIRES A MAJOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (“MAJOR CUP”) FOR HEALTH CARE CIVIC ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA BOUNDED BY TELEGRAPH AVENUE, BROADWAY, INTERSTATE 580, AND 29th STREET, TO BE PRESENTED IN THE CITY’S UPDATE TO THE LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT (“LUTE”) OF THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN BACKGROUND Samuel Merritt University, which rents buildings in the Pill Hill neighborhood adjacent to Alta Bates Summit Hospital Campus, is moving to a newly constructed downtown campus and will be vacating their health sciences campus in the Pill Hill neighborhood, thereby potentially freeing up space for hospital expansion in the Pill Hill neighborhood. This could represent a major expansion, and neighbors, healthcare workers, and the City of Oakland should have a right to publicly noticed opportunities for public hearings where they can provide input, express concerns if any, and offer recommendations and, in the case of the City, impose conditions. Currently without a Conditional Use Permit, there is no such requirement for a public hearing or community engagement. This is especially problematic given that a Rapid Health Impact Assessment study on the possible closure of the Alta Bates Berkeley Hospital campus indicated that its closure could lead to substantial impacts on patient services and potential overcrowding at the Emergency Room at the Alta Bates Summit campus in Oakland. This could in turn add increased traffic and noise impacts that have not yet been studied in the Pill Hill area and may impact working conditions at either hospital.
CITY OF OAKLAND DAN KALB CARROLL FIFE Councilmember – District One Councilmember – District Three CITY HALL • ONE FRANK OGAWA PLAZA • 2ND FLOOR • OAKLAND, CA 94612 (510) 238-7001 • [email protected] / (510) 238-7003 • [email protected]
SUMMARY This resolution represents a common-sense adjustment to the current Planning Code. Currently, there is no Major CUP process that would apply to a large hospital expansion in this area. This resolution fixes that by directing the City Administrator to study and present options for Planning Code amendment(s) such as a zoning overlay or similar mechanism, that would require a more robust public process before the possible approval of new or expanded Health Care Civic Activities on parcels adjacent to or very near the existing Summit medical center located in a defined area of the City, known as the Pill Hill area, which is bounded by Telegraph Avenue, Broadway, Interstate 580, and 29th street. These amendment(s) are to be presented as part of the package that will be presented next year to the Planning Commission and City Council for the City’s update to the Land Use and Transportation Element (“LUTE”) of the City’s General Plan. Please review the important Whereas findings in the Resolution. COORDINATION Our office consulted with the Oakland Planning & Building Department, as well as local healthcare unions (California Nurses Association and SEIU United Healthcare Workers West). We reached out to Sutter Health, but have not yet (as of 12/5/24) been able to schedule a meeting. We also worked with the Oakland City Attorney’s Office to create this Resolution. For questions, please contact Keara O’Doherty, Chief of Staff to Dan Kalb, (510) 238-7014, [email protected]. Best, Dan Kalb Carroll Fife City Councilmember, District 1 City Councilmember, District 3