About Us
Campus Master Plan
Memorial’s campus master plan is designed to meet the expanding health care needs of Yakima in the years to come. On this page you will find not only those plans but also avenues for you to have your say in the process.
We look forward to hearing from you and continuing to serve you as part of the community.
What we've learned—minutes of our previous community conversations |
After 3 years of much behind-the-scenes work, it is time again to bring our Campus Master Plan to the attention of our neighbors and the greater Yakima community. During the past 3 years, we have worked closely with our neighbors and city officials to develop and implement the necessary planning mechanisms to provide an avenue for our campus master planning process to continue so that we can meet the future medical needs of the community.
Background
Back in the fall of 2005, we conducted three Community Conversations about the Campus Master Plan. During those conversations, interest was high in alternatives for assuring the character and charm of the neighborhood is honored as the campus is developed over the next 25-30 years. These conversations were further extended by members of the Barge-Chestnut Neighborhood Association that resulted in significant changes to the plan. Likewise, they served as vital partners with us to influence changes in the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan and the creation of an Institutional Overlay Zoning ordinance. These two planning tools are vital toward recognizing a campus master plan that can provide both Memorial and our neighbor's predictability and accountability in the development of the Memorial campus.
Our Planning Philosophy
We developed the Campus Master Plan because Yakima will continue to grow and so will the community's health care needs. Our challenge is to take care of these needs while being a good neighbor. We remain committed to staying true to our future development planning philosophy:
- We will involve our neighbors, community, and healthcare providers as we make our plans. Working together, we believe we can protect the character and charm of the neighborhood while addressing the future medical needs of a growing community.
- The hospital campus will remain within the boundary set in 1995 for this long range plan.
- Consistent with hospital Board policy, future development projects on the hospital campus will be only for services that support hospital care or are necessary for patient safety.
Feel free to share your comments about our Campus Master Plan by attending one of our Community Conversations, calling our campus master plan message center at 575-8820 or e-mailing us at communityvoice@yvmh.org.
Please join us as we plan for how Memorial will meet your medical needs in the future.
Sincerely,
Stan Martinkus, Bill Wheeler
Past Chairs, Board of Trustees
R.W. Linneweh, Jr.
President, CEO
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Why a Campus Master Plan?
The Yakima Valley is a growing community and health care technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate. That’s why Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital has initiated a Campus Master Plan to assure our community has the capacity to meet its medical needs. We are working on the Campus Master Plan to figure out how to take care of these needs while being a good neighbor.
Memorial has been serving the health needs of the community since 1950. Today, the 225-bed, not-for-profit hospital has more than 130,000 patient visits annually. Our service area now includes more than 250,000 people and that number is expected to increase as the community grows.
To create the Campus Master Plan, we had to make assumptions about what the campus could be like in 25 to 30 years. We imagined a scenario with the campus having grown as much as it ever would in that time.
It’s important to note that the hospital campus will remain within the boundary set in 1995 for the next 25 to 30 years. In May 2005, the Memorial Board of Trustees formally adopted a policy which puts limits on the type of services located on the campus. In the future, only those necessary for patient safety or that support hospital care will be allowed. This policy will relieve some of the pressure on our main campus and would take us further into the community, even beyond our current 18 locations.
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital has created a Campus Master Plan that looks 25 to 30 years into the future to respond to the health care needs of our community while being a good neighbor. There are a few key steps to the plan's approval: Institutional Overlay Land Use Application (Campus Master Plan and Master Development Agreement), SEPA Review (Environmental Impact Statement Analysis) and Zoning.
Institutional Overlay Land Use Application
Memorial will submit its Campus Master Plan according to the provisions of the City of Yakima's Institutional Overlay Zoning ordinance. The application will start the review process within the city planning department. Once the City has reviewed the plan and completed the required environmental review process (SEPA), the planning department will forward the application, together with its recommendation, to the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner will seek a recommendation from the Regional Planning Commission before reaching a decision. The Hearing Examiner will send his written recommendation to the Yakima City Council for approval.
SEPA Review (Environmental Impact Statement Analysis)
Memorial has voluntarily agreed to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as determined by city planners. Through a series of public hearings, the City will determine which environmental factors need to be addressed. Much of this work was completed in 2005 but at the request of our neighbors, we delayed submitting the draft supplemental EIS while alternative land use planning mechanisms were created. We will study the impacts and explore possible mitigation measures. A traffic impact analysis is a major component of the EIS and will be updated as needed to the current plan.
Zoning
The utilization of the Institutional Overlay Land Use designation allows Memorial to develop its campus according to the Campus Master Plan without having to change the underlying zones. The existing underlying zones for the Memorial campus are R-1, R-2 and R-3. Some parcels on the campus may need to be changed to either R-2 or R-3 in order to attain maximum compatibility with the Campus Master Plan. Any zone changes would be an integral part of the Campus Master Plan review process.
You’re invited to view the documents and drawings associated with looking ahead 25 to 30 years into the future to ensure our community has the capacity to meet its medical needs.
You can examine the Campus Master Plan. You can also see draft sections of the Environmental Impact Statement as they are completed. The sections will discuss issues related to transportation, traffic and parking, water/storm drainage and noise and historic/cultural preservation among other issues.
For more information, contact Memorial’s communications department at 249-5219.
Comment line: To leave a comment or question on Memorial’s Campus Master Plan, call 575-8820.
A series of Community Conversations have already taken place about the future of the Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital main campus. Our theme is "Future Needs—Future Solutions" and together we will reality test our plan for Memorial’s hospital campus. Your participation in these conversations is important and valuable in making sure we have looked at all the issues and solutions.
The Community Conversations have been part of Memorial’s Campus Master Plan that will look 25 to 30 years into the future. They are part of Memorial’s commitment to ensure we have the capacity to meet the community’s future medical needs while being a good neighbor.
The Community Conversations allow you to learn about Campus Master Plan and share your comments and concerns about the plan. You can see the results of past Community Conversations on this Web site, read common questions raised during the meetings, besides submit your own comment or question.
Meetings scheduled
Follow the links below to read minutes of three scheduled Community Conversations detailing the plans, processes and consultations regarding the development of Memorial Hospital in the coming years.
EIS Community Conversation No. 1, Oct. 20, 2005
Campus Master Plan Community Conversation No. 2, Nov. 10, 2005
Campus Master Plan Community Conversation No. 3, Dec. 1, 2005
We are delighted to receive feedback regarding our plans and our meeting. Please follow the links below to read the comments we have so far received.
- Click here to read comments from the Oct. 20 Community Conversation.
- Click here to read comments from the Nov. 10, 2005, Community Conversation
- You may click here for answers to questions asked about the Campus Master Plan.
The following is a list of key contacts for questions and comments on the Campus Master Plan. The list includes:
- Rick Linneweh, President/CEO
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575-8001
- Jim Aberle, VP/CIO/Support Services
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575-8681
- Anne Caffery, Vice President,
- Communications and Development
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576-5794
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital also has a communication team available to respond to your questions and help schedule a Campus Master Plan speaker for your organization. If you are interested in speaking with one of our experts or any member of Memorial’s family, please call the comment line anytime at 575-8820 and we’ll get back to you soon.
City of Yakima Contacts
A complete list of contacts for the City of Yakima is available at the following Web site: www.ci.yakima.wa.us/contacts/depthead.asp.
- The City of Yakima
- 129 N. Second St.
- Yakima, WA 98901
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Phone: 575-6000
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FAX: 576-6614
- Web site: www.ci.yakima.wa.us
Other resources
Return to this page regularly, as Memorial will provide additional material as it becomes available on its Campus Master Plan.
- Aerial view of current campus.
- Campus Master Plan Review Process.
- Campus map with possible development over the next 25 to 30 years.
