City Planner outlines hospital EIR process

Sonoma City Planner David Goodison came before the Sonoma Valley Hospital board of directors on Wednesday to outline the process the board and the city will face as they move forward to build a new hospital within city limits or to reconfigure the existing hospital. He gave what he called a “bare bones summary” of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process and what it means to the hospital, the city, and interested neighbors. He explained that there are aspects of the process, particularly the environmental aspects, that are quite complex, which means that there will reports and meetings along the way to present the details and allow for public comments.
He explained that one of the key concepts of the environmental review process has to do with who is in charge. The “lead” agency is the manager of the process, responsible for preparing the documents, certifying the documents, making sure the EIR is adequate. The lead agency, in this case, is the Sonoma Valley Health Care District. The City of Sonoma is merely the “responsible” agency. So the hospital is responsible for getting the money, designing the project, and getting it done. The city has certain review and land use authorities, such as re-zoning and issuing a use permit.
The basic steps in the process he outlined are four: 1) define the project, 2) conduct and complete an environmental review of that project, 3) review and decide upon the project, and 4) obtain permits. For a complete flowchart of filings and approvals, go to www.ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/flowchart.
The process here will take about two years, Goodison said, and he emphasized that it will provide many points along the way for community comment.