Thousand Oaks Planners Approve Expansion of Hospital

After listening to more than six hours of comments from neighbors, doctors and supporters of Los Robles Regional Medical Center, Thousand Oaks planning commissioners early Tuesday approved a $120-million expansion of the city’s only major hospital.

Speaker after speaker cited overcrowding at the 34-year-old facility, which needs to modernize to meet state earthquake safety mandates.

Ventura County Supervisor Frank Schillo, a Thousand Oaks resident, told of being diverted to an Oxnard hospital after a heart attack last year because Los Robles was full.

“The physical plant is inadequate,” said Dr. Bernie Klein, medical director of the 1,450-employee hospital. “We don’t have enough beds; we don’t have enough room to provide sufficient care to our patients.”

But dozens of residents whose homes surround the 196-bed main hospital showed up to complain about increased traffic, noise, dust and a loss of privacy if a four-story wing more than 70 feet tall is built.

Homeowners questioned whether Los Robles’ long-term expansion goals are appropriate, considering its location in a residential neighborhood. They also challenged an environmental report that concludes problems associated with adding 90 private rooms and a 520-space parking structure could be resolved without any long-term negative effect on the neighborhood.

“We all realize the hospital has to get bigger,” said Anne Street, a resident of nearby Sidlee Street. “Which way is it going to go? It can only go up, which is going to be an even bigger problem for the residents of Sidlee.”

Resident Marsha Richardson said the original hospital was compatible with the neighborhood when it was built in the late ‘60s but that extensive development on the grounds at Janss and Lynn roads would be overwhelming and most likely depress property values.

“Expanding the size does not fit in our neighborhood,” she said. “I’d very much like to see the expansion go somewhere else.... Go to Westlake.”

But Bob Shaw, Los Robles’ chief executive, said hospital officials investigated expanding at another site and determined the price of land in the east county is too expensive.

Shaw said a more than 400% increase in the Conejo Valley population since Los Robles opened forces the hospital to expand.

From 1969 to 2001, officials said, the number of overnight patients a year jumped from 2,340 to 13,095, the number of babies born grew from 520 to 1,989, surgeries increased from 1,140 to 7,752 and the number of open-heart surgeries went from zero in 1969 to 346 last year.

Hospital officials argue that the new wing is needed so the hospital can provide private rooms. Doctors say it would enable them to isolate contagious patients. And administrators say it also would fill a need in affluent Thousand Oaks.

Before casting his vote shortly after 1 a.m., Commissioner Randy Hoffman told the audience he wished the medical center could move from the neighborhood to a larger site with freeway access, but that the need for extra beds and expanded medical services was too great to delay approval.

In response to concerns, the commission only approved constructing the new wing’s first three floors, and not a fourth floor, without returning to the city for approval.

Los Robles must monitor dust emissions during construction and use vehicles and equipment with alternative fuels to reduce air pollution.

Administrators also are required to return to the city for approval if they ever move to expand beyond 277 beds.

“The challenge for the commission was to attempt to meet the needs of the neighborhood ... while accommodating the need of the hospital to maintain its quality of service to the community at large,” commission President Jim Bruno said.

Even with such conditions, some critics said more should be done about pollution, building height and traffic safety.

Residents have until Dec. 30 to pay a $500 application fee to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision to the City Council.