County continues two new St. Luke’s applications
Reduced roadwork commitment, new building in the works
The meeting began with an unusual reminder from P&Z Chairman Tom
Bowman to St. Luke’s about ex parte communication rules that prohibit private
communication between P&Z members and applicants.
By TRAVIS PURSER
Express Staff Writer
During a packed meeting at the old Blaine County Courthouse last week,
county officials all but approved an application by St. Luke’s hospital to build a
three-lane section of highway—rather than a planned five-lane section—in
McHanville.
The P&Z commission said it would likely approve the plan, but it
needed more detail on the proposal, mostly concerning a proposed traffic signal adjacent
to the hospital on Highway 75.
The commission also heard public comment on a simultaneous, but different,
application by St. Luke’s to build a 40,000-square-foot medical office building
adjacent to the new hospital.
After 4 1/2 hours of deliberation Thursday night, the commission continued
consideration of both applications to Thursday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m.
During a brief presentation, the hospital’s director of architecture
and construction, Jeff Hull, said St. Luke’s could not follow through on its original
commitment to build the 2,000-foot-long section to five lanes because of the indefinite
postponement of a similar highway expansion through much of the valley by the Idaho
Transportation Department (ITD).
Because ITD can’t approve the purchase of the necessary right-of-way,
St. Luke’s cannot expand to five lanes, Hull said.
St. Luke’s presented a new traffic impact study to show that three
lanes of highway could handle the extra traffic generated when the hospital opens in
December.
P&Z chairperson Tom Bowman said the commission was 90 percent of the
way to approving the reduced highway commitment.
However, Bowman appeared wary of the team of St. Luke’s
officials—which included the new addition of Boise-based lawyer Joanne
Butler—sitting in the front row.
The meeting began with an unusual reminder from Bowman to St. Luke’s
about ex parte communication rules that prohibit private communication between P&Z
members and applicants.
Late in the meeting, Commissioner Cindy Mann said she felt
"twisted" by Hull. Initially Hull said creating detailed plans of the
intersection would take up to several months. Hours later, after Bowman’s prediction
that the application would be approved, Hull said he could have the plans ready in less
than a week.
Speakers in the public audience mostly agreed that St. Luke’s is
caught in a Catch-22 situation and that the hospital should be allowed to open after the
construction of three lanes.
Many, however, said St. Luke’s should be held responsible in some way
to a future five-lane expansion.
The commission considered both requiring St. Luke’s to post a bond
for future construction and entering into a new contractual agreement for the
construction.
Butler reminded the commission that despite "innuendo or public
perception that [St. Luke’s] is backsliding," the hospital’s "fair
share" of highway improvements is three lanes.
Thursday’s meeting will likely focus on the details of the
intersection design such as the dimensions of acceleration and deceleration lanes, the
locations of traffic signal standards and the type and local of intersection warning
lights.
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Consideration of the hospital’s new medical office building
application began late in the evening and was limited, for the most part, to a brief
presentation by St. Luke’s planners and to public comment.
The presentation focused mostly on physical details of the new building,
including shared parking with the hospital and a pneumatic tube for delivering small items
that will run between the buildings.
Since first presenting the office building plan several weeks ago, St.
Luke’s has lowered its proposed height to 40 feet—Ketchum’s limitation on
commercial buildings. St. Luke’s has also reduced the building’s floor area by
1,500 square feet.
Commissioners questioned whether the original 1998 ballot proposition to
bring St. Luke’s into the county implied the corporation would build several
buildings or just one.
The focus for this Thursday’s meeting, Bowman said, will be
consideration of whether the office building is "integral" to the functioning of
the new hospital.
