Emergency medical facilities in the town center of Covington received a thumbs down from the Planning Commission June 17.
The Covington Planning Commission met to vote on a recommendation to allow a 24-hour emergency medical facility in Covington’s town center and whether to allow zoning for a hospital.
The members voted 4-3 to recommend not allowing an emergency medical facility and 4-3 to not allow a hospital in the town center area of the downtown zoning plan.
Valley Medical Center is planning to build a 24-hour emergency medical center in the town center area. Valley is in the process of purchasing a 10-acre parcel from Ashton Development for about $5 million. The land is behind Safeway and Fred Meyer.
Along with the emergency facility, Valley has plans for a medical mall on the site with office and retail space.
The five commission members who voted to not allow the emergency department and hospital were Chair Sean Smith, Vice Chair Daniel Key, Jack Brooks and Alex White. The three dissenting votes were cast by Sonia Foss, Ed Pfeiffer and Bill Judd.
The members voted 7-0 to approve zoning for medical offices in the town center with two conditions. The first is for 80 percent structured parking for offices above one story, which means a parking garage or parking below the building. The second condition is if the office faces the new main street there would have to be 60 percent retail and 40 percent service offices.
The recommendations will be presented to the City Council July 13. The council members will take the recommendations from the commission and they are expected to make a final decision on the downtown zoning plan in August.
Mike Glenn, senior vice president of business development for Valley wrote in an e-mail, “While we are disappointed and a bit confused by the planning commissions pending recommendation to City Council, we understand it is just that, a recommendation. We remain confident the council will recognize the merits and compatibility of our project and ultimately decide to allow its development on the western edge (3-5 acres) of the 88 acre town center zone.”
MultiCare is planning to build an emergency department where the Urgent Care facility is located in Covington, which already has the zoning in place for the construction.
MultiCare also has plans for a 58-bed hospital on the site after the emergency department is constructed. A certificate of need has been submitted by MultiCare to the state Department of Health for the hospital. Approval from the health department is required to build a hospital.
The Planning Commission took public testimony on the downtown zoning plan June 3. At the meeting 26 spoke, with 13 speaking in favor of an emergency department in the town center and 13 spoke against it. Of the 26, 15 were associated with either Valley of MultiCare. Of the residents who spoke, it was six for and six against the emergency department in the town center.
The commission also voted 5-2 to recommend zoning for an asphalt plant southwest of Covington Way and south of 272nd Street. Lakeside Industries has plans to build an asphalt plant in the area. The commission placed four conditions on the recommendation including the plant must be a minimum of 500 feet from adjacent residential.
Voting no were Smith and Key.
