April 16, 2003

Bill Fell, Chief of Planning
City of Monterey
City Hall
Monterey, CA 93940

RE: CHOMP Forest Pavilion Project DEIR

Dear Mr. Fell,

The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula submitted comments on the scope of this DEIR in my letter to you of December 4, 2002. This was not noted or included, and a copy is enclosed. The whole action being proposed at this time has been clarified.

We appreciate the fact that hospital officials must continually reassess local community needs for health care and try to provide up-to-date facilities. Unfortunately, successive amendments to the Master Plan and additions to the main campus have had a cumulative effect on the Skyline Forest Area, Monterey pine forest habitat, tree canopy and Highway 68 scenic corridor. While mitigations have been required for each phase of development, those for traffic impacts, in particular, depend on other agencies for shared funding and actual implementation. As noted in Section 3.1, there will be a Significant Unavoidable Impact on LOS on Highway 68 during the time between occupation of the new Pavilion in 2005, and completion of needed improvements in the highway system, which may be in the winter of 2007.

The information in the Project Objectives section (1.3) doesn't indicate that the expansion is urgently needed. The 2000 census shows a decline in population among Peninsula cities, although median age has increased slightly. The increase in occupancy rate and length of stay in the hospital's existing beds was only 1-2% per year during 1996-2000. The impact on traffic could conceivably be avoided by deferring construction of the project.

It is noted on p. 3-2 that the Pebble Beach Company's Combined Development Permit, which includes construction of extensive new visitor-serving facilities, a golf course, and equestrian center, should be considered among the Cumulative Impacts. The Permit would also require an upgrade to the intersection near the Highway 1 Gate. Several of the construction projects have already begun, and traffic in and out of this Gate has increased noticeably, with regular queues to exit during p.m. peak time. It should be explained what mitigations/improvements are to be carried out by the Pebble Beach Company, and when. There may be a need to review the "fair share" of total improvements to the roadway system and intersections (as shown in Fig.11) for both CHOMP and the Pebble Beach Company.

The added traffic on Highway 68, which can be attributed to the closure of the Presidio of Monterey, should be considered among cumulative impacts.

The water allocation for CHOMP should be further clarified. The independent water audit of estimated total demand with this project should be confirmed by letter from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District prior to approval of a building permit. The DEIR indicates that water needed for each expansion of the campus has been provided by conservation and reduction of previous usage. Has any portion of the amounts conserved been returned, or are all savings credited to CHOMP and retained for its future use? We question also whether the small saving of water proposed in connection with this project, involving use of disposable materials in cafeteria service instead of dishwashing, may have a corresponding negative impact on the local landfill, if such materials are not biodegradable.

We appreciate this opportunity to comment, and ask that our concerns be addressed in the final EIR.

Sincerely,

Beverly G. Bean, D.V.M.
President