Charting growth of a medical center

Re “Report on hospital expansion sought,” Oct. 3

L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcon does not need to be so defensive about Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and its advertisements. I’ve seen them several times, and they have never stated that Alarcon doesn’t support the expansion. These commercials represent a cry from the community that we want healthcare now, not several years from now. As a Mission Hills resident, I know that we need more patient beds and medical services for our community as well as for surrounding communities to make sure that we can receive quality treatment.

Councilman, help us to save lives now.

Betty Ley

Mission Hills

I am glad that Alarcon presented clear and balanced steps to allow the hospital to expand responsibly. Sadly, the hospital has been dragging its feet for three years trying to avoid doing an environmental impact report on this development, which should cost less than $2 million. The hospital claims that everyone promoting a report is a union representative whose only goal is to organize hospital employees. As an individual appealing to the Los Angeles Planning Commission, I have never been a member of any union.

The hospital needs to explain why it is asking for two variances. One exception is to build merely seven feet from Indian Hills Road, which is the only access to Ararat Home, a YMCA child-care center and two busy medical buildings, thus restricting the street width permanently to 40 feet. The other variance is to build 95 feet, when regulations now require 45 feet, possibly exposing the medical center to risk of earthquake damage. There is plenty of room to build closer to Rinaldi Street (65 feet), instead of on top of Indian Hill Road at 95 feet.

Timothy Germann

Mission Hills