Clark County Community Development has recommended approval of the conditional use permit and preliminary site plan for a 72-bed psychiatric hospital in Salmon Creek. But the public will have a chance to weigh in on the proposal before a hearing examiner makes the final decision later this month.
Springstone LLC of Louisville, Ky., is proposing to build Rainier Springs Hospital on a 12.5-acre site near the Interstate 205 interchange at Northeast 134th Street. The company already has received preliminary approval from the state Department of Health to construct the hospital, pending issuance of a conditional use permit by Clark County.
Clark County reviewed Springstone’s development plans, including land use, transportation, stormwater and environmental issues and issued its report recommending approval on Wednesday. A member of the public requested a public hearing, which has been set for 6 p.m. April 14 at the county’s Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. in Vancouver. The hearing examiner will issue a decision after the public hearing, typically within about two weeks, said Terri Brooks, Clark County planner.
The proposed 53,300-square-foot hospital will be built on two parcels totaling about 12.5 acres. The triangular site, at 2711 N.E. 129th St., is bordered by Waters Edge condominiums to the north, Salmon Creek to the east and I-205 to the south. The site is near where Wal-Mart had proposed to build a store a few years ago.
The traffic-impact fees for the $26.8 million project total $328,637. Those fees would be waived under the county’s current policy.
The proposed psychiatric hospital would provide a full range of services — including inpatient, voluntary and involuntary treatment, adult, and geropsychiatric for the elderly, as well as substance abuse services — for patients 18 and older, according to the application filed with the state Health Department.
While the facility would be licensed as a psychiatric hospital, 24 of the 72 beds would be in a separate chemical dependency unit, according to the application. Plans call for the hospital to be operational by January 2018.
Springstone still has details to finalize, making a construction start date difficult to predict, said Jill Force, Springstone’s general counsel and chief administrative officer, in an email to The Columbian. But the company is actively working to complete the preconstruction process, she said.
“We are eager to begin construction and hope to get the hospital open as soon as possible,” Force said in the email.
During the county review, staff did express concerns about the safety of the outdoor courtyard areas of the hospital, according to the report. But Springstone submitted a list of security features for the hospital, which include 10-foot fencing around the outdoor courtyards; security cameras throughout indoor and outdoor spaces; a door access control system; secure, tamper-free door hardware; no operable windows; patient checks every 15 minutes; and two staff present at all times when patients are in enclosed outdoor spaces.
During the review process, Clark County received four public comments. Among those submitting comments was an attorney representing Solari Early Childhood Development, which operates the nearby Goddard School preschool in Salmon Creek; the Washington State Department of Transportation; and Bridget Schwarz, president of the Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association.
The Goddard School had concerns about admissions, treatment and discharge policies — particularly about transportation of patients upon discharge — and asked that the hospital be precluded from having patients with a history of harming others, according to the county staff report.
Springstone’s attorney told the county that patients will be transported to and from the hospital. But the state prohibits the hospital from restricting access to certain types of patients, according to the report.
Schwarz requested that Rainier Springs officials be required to attend one regular monthly neighborhood association meeting and had concerns about hospital operations. But the county cannot require staff to attend neighborhood meetings and cannot control internal hospital operations, which are regulated by state and federal laws, according to the report.
WSDOT had concerns about stormwater because during construction of I-205, WSDOT encountered seeps and springs. Springstone, however, submitted a geotechnical assessment report that includes recommendations for the project that comply with county code, according to the report.
Clark County planning staff’s recommended approval did come with some conditions, many of which revolve around final construction drawings and ensuring the project follows proposed plans.
After the public hearing process is complete, the project will need a final site plan review and building permit before construction can begin, Brooks said.
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