Seattle Council should allow Children's hospital to expand, based on both head and heart

From my head and my heart, I urge the Seattle City Council to allow Seattle Children's hospital to expand.

My late husband, Marty Sibonga, was orphaned during the Great Depression, and suffered from rickets, eczema and asthma. Throughout his life, he treasured memories of the tender care he received at Children's from the doctors, nurses and volunteers.

Decades later, my grandson was born with a heart-valve problem but, thanks to treatment at Children's, he thrives today.

With all my heart, I ask the City Council immediately to overturn the City hearing examiner's recommendation to deny Children's expansion proposal.

As an attorney and a former City Councilmember, I understand that the Council cannot act on emotional appeals alone. Council members must have sound policy reasons to reject the examiner's recommendation. Fortunately, the heart and head work together in this case.

Children's participated in a lengthy and thorough Major Institutions Master Plan (MIMP) process. It involved representation from surrounding communities — Montlake, Ravenna, Bryant, Laurelhurst and View Ridge — as part of the Citizens' Advisory Committee. After nearly 30 community meetings, eight major revisions of the plan, and two years of process, both the Citizens' Advisory Committee and the City's Department of Planning and Development recommended approval of Children's Master Plan.

Even the hearing examiner's report stated, "The Citizens' Advisory Committee was instrumental in achieving many changes to the Master Plan that would reduce the proposed MIMP's impact on the surrounding neighborhood."

Children's has agreed to millions of dollars in enhancements to decrease Laurelhurst neighborhood impacts, including better street frontage on Sand Point Way and intersection improvements. Transportation improvements such as additional trip-reduction programs, a van-shuttle program, transit hub, and bike and pedestrian improvements are planned. Children's would purchase Laurelon Terrace Condominiums and use the additional area to decrease height limits of new buildings. It would be required to work with the city to replace the units with comparable housing. Children's has also moved its research activities downtown and opened satellite clinics.

The need is immediate. Last year, there were more than 260,000 patient visits. At times, the hospital was at or near capacity. Children's never wanted to turn anyone away, but was faced with this dilemma on several occasions. Children's raised $86 million to fund treatment for those who needed financial assistance. Given these difficult economic times, that amount is expected to grow.

The number of beds needed is projected to at least double in the next 20 years. As that need grows, actual expansion would occur in phases, as recommended by the Citizens' Advisory Committee. That fact alone should be sufficient for the City Council members to approve Children's carefully thought-out expansion plans.

Children's is one of the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the country. With a skilled workforce of more than 4,000 people, it is an economic engine for our region. It foresees a steady job growth in medical, scientific and administrative staff. New construction and health-care jobs would also be created by the expansion.

The whole point of having a special city policy to address major institutions is because of their importance to our community and quality of life. The review process has served its purpose. It is time for the City Council to take the positive step of approving the hospital's expansion plan this fall.

I hope each City Council member would vow that "not on my watch" will we compromise the health-care needs of the children in our community and the region.

Dolores Sibonga was Washington state's first Filipino-American attorney and the first woman of color to serve on the Seattle City Council.