To ensure the Healthy Living Campus best serves our community, we will continue to conduct public meetings to allow local residents to learn about the project, provide detailed feedback and interact with BCHD representatives and the project team. Learn more here. As the project moves forward, we will send periodic updates when significant developments occur.
LATEST NEWS
BCHD BOARD VOTES TO CERTIFY FINAL EIR FOR PROPOSED HEALTHY LIVING CAMPUS MASTER PLAN
The Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Board of Directors voted to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the District’s Healthy Living Campus Master Plan, verifying the document complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The vote was taken during the Board Meeting Wed., Sept. 8 and was 5-0 in favor of certification, coming after two and a half hours of presentations, public comments and deliberations. More than 300 public comments and responses were included in the 1,778-page Final EIR.
Next steps for the project include a review of the proposed plan and the six alternatives that were analyzed in the EIR. This process will include continued community outreach and trade-off discussions, public surveys, committee meetings and BCHD’s Strategic Planning meeting in October.
“Completing this very comprehensive EIR process is an important milestone for this project, and we appreciate the public’s active involvement. The proposed campus concept is a product of the community’s ideas gathered through the extensive community engagement process the BCHD Board insisted upon,” says BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “Our Beach Cities community has put a tremendous amount of time, energy and research into this report, which will help guide much of the work ahead of us.”
The proposed plan and alternatives are a direct reflection of community input, with design and planning documents revised twice since the public project discourse began in 2017. Public input resulted in the addition of open space, proposed structures were redesigned and shifted away from neighbors, and construction time was drastically reduced.
To learn more about the Healthy Living Campus, visit bchdcampus.org.
BCHD Board to Consider Certification of Proposed Healthy Living Campus Master Plan EIR
By Dan Smith, BCHD
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) will hold a public hearing Wednesday night, Sept. 8, where the BCHD Board of Directors will consider certifying that the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the District’s Healthy Living Campus Master Plan complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The process for completing an EIR, mandated by California law, is a thorough review of the potentially significant environmental impacts of a proposed project. In June 2019, BCHD formally initiated the EIR process for the Healthy Living Campus Master Plan, which is intended to modernize its aging 60-year-old former hospital in Redondo Beach with an intergenerational facility serving the health and wellness needs of Beach Cities residents. The proposed plan and alternatives are a direct reflection of community input, with design and planning documents revised twice since the public project discourse began in 2017.
The proposed design of the proposed Healthy Living Campus Master Plan calls for more than two acres of public green space and health facilities that range from a Youth Wellness Center focused on mental health to Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE). The master plan aims to create a modern Healthy Living Campus that meets the changing health needs of the community and serves residents of all ages.
At the meeting Wednesday, the BCHD Board will determine whether the EIR complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The public can view the meeting agenda, resolution and staff report and find links to access the meeting via Zoom and provide written comments prior to the meeting at bchd.org/board-of-director-meetings. The final EIR document and appendices are available at www.bchdcampus.org/eir.
“One of our foremost goals throughout this EIR process has been to assure the public is properly informed and engaged in the planning process,” says BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “To clarify the Sept. 8 proceedings, the BCHD Board will vote whether to certify the EIR. If certified, it will be a determination that the in-depth EIR document, which studies potential impacts, measures to reduce or avoid those impacts and analyzes project alternatives, has been properly completed. It is not the approval of the project.”
Since 2017, public input has resulted in the addition of green space, proposed structures have been redesigned and shifted away from neighbors and construction time has been drastically reduced. During the Sept. 8 board meeting, an overview of public comments received during the Draft EIR period (March 10 – June 10), which are included and responded to in the Final EIR, will be provided. If the EIR is certified by the BCHD Board, there will also be a review of next steps in the project approval process. More information about the project is available at bchdcampus.org.
To Learn more about the Healthy Living Campus, visit bchdcampus.org or submit your feedback here
Healthy Living Campus Environmental Impact Report Released
By Susan Pascal, Patch
REDONDO BEACH, CA — A draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Healthy Living Campus was released to the public by the BCHD this week and the community is encouraged to comment.
The project, located on the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) property at 514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach, reimagines the former hospital site to better serve and meet the current and future community needs of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach residents.
"The Draft EIR is lengthy, so to be as transparent as possible and to continue our policy of encouraging community input, BCHD has doubled the time for public review and comment on the Healthy Living Campus project," BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly said in a press release. "We encourage the community to be part of the process by submitting comments on the Draft EIR during the review period. The Healthy Living Campus is an opportunity to create a modern, vibrant, intergenerational campus focused on wellness and prevention for today and decades to come."
The 90-day public review and comment period for the 11-acre campus, bordered by Prospect, Beryl Street, Flagler Lane and Diamond Street in Redondo Beach, will extend through June 10, even though only a 45-day review is mandated.
The first phase of the proposed campus Master Plan includes 220 residential care units for the elderly (assisted living and memory care), programs for all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE), a youth wellness center, BCHD's care management, information and referral programs, and approximately 2.5 acres of active green/open space for outdoor meetings and programs. A second phase calls for a Community Wellness Pavilion with community meeting and research spaces, a demonstration kitchen, and an updated Center for Health & Fitness with an aquatics center.
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"BCHD began reimagining a modernized Healthy Living Campus in 2017 as an intergenerational space for all Beach Cities residents," Bakaly said.
The Draft EIR addresses the potential environmental effects of modernizing the Redondo Beach property. BCHD began preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the campus as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 2017. This process included five public scoping meetings and environmental analyses of a broad range of environmental topics as required by CEQA or requested by the community during scoping.
Now comes the 90-day Draft EIR review and comment period, followed by the EIR team preparing a formal Response to Comments later this summer. The expected timeline for the additional steps that will follow includes:
- Response to comments & final EIR – Late Summer 2021
- The EIR team will prepare a formal Response to Comments on the public Draft EIR, revise the Draft EIR as necessary and prepare the Final EIR
- Release response to comments to the public – Summer 2021
- Board consideration to certify EIR – Summer 2021
- Board consideration of possible certification of Final EIR
- Board decision on project – Summer/Fall 2021
- Board considers proposed project and direction for next steps
- Submit Project to City of Redondo Beach for design review, conditional use permit review and approvals – Fall 2021/Winter 2022
- Submit project to City of Torrance for necessary permits (pending approval of Final EIR and Board decision on project) – Fall 2021/Winter 2022
All official Draft EIR public comments received by the June 10 deadline will be included and responded to in the final Environmental Impact Report. Draft EIR comments address the technical sufficiency of the impact analysis, mitigation measures, and alternatives.
There are several ways to submit your comments:
- Website: bchdcampus.org/eir
- Email: EIR@bchd.org
- Mail: Nick Meisinger re: Healthy Living Campus Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. 9177 Sky Park Ct. San Diego, CA 92123
- Provide oral comments during one of these public opportunities:
- Wed., March 24, 6:30 p.m.
- Tues., April 13, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
- Sat., April 17, Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Public comments at the March 24 meeting will begin following the Draft EIR presentation by Wood Environment at the regularly scheduled BCHD Board of Directors meeting.
For more information on how to submit a comment, view the draft EIR or join a meeting, visit bchdcampus.org./eir.
Read the full article from Patch: https://patch.com/california/redondobeach/healthy-living-campus-environmental-impact-report-released
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR BCHD’S HEALTHY LIVING CAMPUS PROJECT TO BE RELEASED MARCH 10; PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD RUNS THROUGH JUNE 10
This rendering shows the open space at BCHD's proposed Healthy Living Campus project.
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (March 8, 2021) -- The Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the proposed Healthy Living Campus on the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) property at 514 N. Prospect Avenue will be released Wednesday, March 10. The 90-day public review and comment period regarding the 11-acre campus, bordered by Prospect, Beryl Street, Flagler Lane and Diamond Street in Redondo Beach, will extend through June 10, even though only a 45-day review is mandated.
“The Draft EIR is lengthy, so to be as transparent as possible and to continue our policy of encouraging community input, BCHD has doubled the time for public review and comment on the Healthy Living Campus project,” says BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “We encourage the community to be part of the process by submitting comments on the Draft EIR during the review period. The Healthy Living Campus is an opportunity to create a modern, vibrant, intergenerational campus focused on wellness and prevention for today and decades to come.”
All official Draft EIR public comments received by the June 10 deadline will be included and responded to in the final Environmental Impact Report. Draft EIR comments address the technical sufficiency of the impact analysis, mitigation measures and alternatives. There are numerous methods to submit comments, including:
- Website: bchdcampus.org/eir
- Email: EIR@bchd.org
- Mail: Nick Meisinger re: Healthy Living Campus
Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc.
9177 Sky Park Ct.
San Diego, CA 92123 - Provide oral comments during one of these public opportunities:
Public comments at the March 24 meeting will begin following the Draft EIR presentation by Wood Environment at the regularly scheduled BCHD Board of Directors meeting. For more information on how to submit a comment or join a meeting, visit bchdcampus.org/eir.
Nearly four years of meetings and workshops with residents, community leaders and stakeholders preceded the Draft EIR, which addresses the potential environmental effects from modernizing the Redondo Beach property. More than 1,000 public comments helped refine the proposed project through various iterations. The proposed 2020 Draft Master Plan, analyzed in the Draft EIR, decreases the on-campus building area by 18 percent compared to the 2019 plan, shortens construction time from nine to five years (in two phases instead of three) and reduces the number of Residential Care for the Elderly units from 420 to 220. The 2020 plan also expands BCHD’s services by including a youth wellness center and aquatics facility while creating 2.5 acres of open space for outdoor programs.
In June 2019, BCHD began preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the campus as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This process included five public scoping meetings and environmental analyses of a broad range of environmental topics as required by CEQA or requested by the community during scoping.
Now comes the 90-day Draft EIR review and comment period, followed by the EIR team preparing a formal Response to Comments later this summer. The expected timeline for the additional steps that will follow includes:
Response to Comments & Final EIR – Late Summer 2021
The EIR team will prepare a formal Response to Comments on the public Draft EIR, revise the Draft EIR as necessary and prepare the Final EIR.
Release Response to Comments to the Public – Summer 2021
Board Consideration to Certify EIR – Summer 2021
Board consideration of possible certification of Final EIR.
Board Decision on Project – Summer/Fall 2021
Board considers proposed project and direction for next steps.
Submit Project to City of Redondo Beach for Design Review, Conditional Use Permit Review and Approvals (pending approval of Final EIR and Board decision on project) – Fall 2021/Winter 2022
Submit Project to City of Torrance for Necessary Permits (pending approval of Final EIR and Board decision on project) – Fall 2021/Winter 2022
The Healthy Living Campus project reimagines the former hospital site to better serve and meet the current and future community health needs of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach residents. Phase 1 of the proposed campus Master Plan includes 220 Residential Care for the Elderly (assisted living and memory care) units, Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Youth Wellness Center, BCHD’s Care Management and Assistance, Information and Referral programs and services and approximately 2.5 acres of active green/open space for outdoor meetings and programs. The proposed program for Phase 2 calls for a Community Wellness Pavilion with community meeting and research spaces, a demonstration kitchen and other amenities, an updated Center for Health & Fitness and an aquatics center.
“BCHD began reimagining a modernized Healthy Living Campus in 2017 as an intergenerational space for all Beach Cities residents,” says Bakaly. “The proposed open space -- a direct result of community feedback -- is roughly the size of two soccer fields of usable, active open space that can be programmed with activities like outdoor exercise, mindfulness and nutrition classes, meeting spaces for support groups and moais and other community events. The programs proposed in Phase 2 will bring even more ways to connect the campus to the community, including a new Community Wellness Pavilion, Center for Health & Fitness and aquatics center.”
BCHD ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY FINDS DRY CLEANING CHEMICAL FROM ADJACENT PROPERTY IN SOIL VAPOR AT PROSPECT AVE. PROPERTY
PRESS RELEASE
As part of the environmental studies in preparation for construction of the proposed Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) Healthy Living Campus, BCHD hired Converse Consultants (Converse) to perform an initial assessment of the environmental conditions at the BCHD campus property at 514 North Prospect Avenue in Redondo Beach. Converse recently reported on sampling results that, among other things, identified the presence of Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a substance commonly used in the dry cleaning industry, in a number of soil vapor samples.
The highest PCE concentrations were generally detected in samples from locations closest to a former dry cleaner that operated from approximately 1990 to 2018 at the adjoining retail center to the north (1232 Beryl St.).
BCHD has notified the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and will work with the agencies and other public entities to address these sampling results. BCHD also notified the owners of the retail shopping center at Beryl Street and Prospect Avenue, where the dry cleaner was located.
Following BCHD’s longstanding mission to enhance community health, the health district has proposed transforming its Prospect Avenue property into a Healthy Living Campus that provides intergenerational health and wellness services, programs and facilities. BCHD is working with consultants on a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project, which led to the discovery of PCE in the soil. The Draft EIR will address mitigation actions related to construction.
Timeline of Events:
October 2019: Converse Consultants conducts tests on soil samples as part of EIR process for BCHD’s Healthy Living Campus project.
December 2019: BCHD received draft report from Converse Consultants with data showing elevated PCE levels at BCHD Campus on Prospect Avenue. As a result of the findings, more tests were conducted at the Prospect Avenue site and all indoor concentrations of PCE are less than residential screening levels.
BCHD sent letters to the appropriate regulatory agencies informing them of report findings. BCHD also contacted the owners of the retail businesses at Beryl Street and Prospect Avenue (adjoining property).
January 2020: BCHD attempted to establish contact with Los Angeles County Fire Department and Regional Water Quality Control Board and adjacent property owner.
February 2020: BCHD established contact with the Regional Water Quality Control Board related to remediation and next steps. Converse Consultants completes final report of soil samples and findings.
About Beach Cities Health District
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) is among the leading preventive health agencies in the nation and has served the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach since 1955. As a public agency, it offers an extensive range of dynamic health and wellness programs, with innovative services and facilities to promote health and prevent diseases in every lifespan. BCHD also operates AdventurePlex, a health and fitness facility where kids play their way to good health, and the Center for Health & Fitness, a comprehensive fitness center that is the only Medical Fitness Association-certified facility in California. Visit www.bchd.org or call (310) 374-3426 for more information.
BEACH CITIES HEALTH DISTRICT TO HOST HEALTHY LIVING CAMPUS COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, MARCH 23
WHAT: Beach Cities Health District will host a community open house to display new conceptual renderings for its Healthy Living Campus master plan. The event will be open to the public and conducted where the proposed campus will be developed. The event will also include a walking tour of the site, AdventurePlex inflatable bounce house, garden demos, massages, food tastings and more.
WHEN: Saturday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Beach Cities Health District,514 N. Prospect Ave., Redondo Beach
BACKGROUND:Since 2017, Beach Cities Health District has been working with the community to reimagine our aging campus to better reflect our mission and meet the current health needs of Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach residents.
When the 15-year master plan is completed, the intergenerational Healthy Living Campus – designed for all ages – will include a Community Wellness Pavilion with health and wellness services, meetings/conferences, a demonstration kitchen, rooftop space for exercise classes, approximately 420 Residential Care For the Elderly units, an upgraded child development center and Center for Health & Fitness, more than four acres of active green space and walking and bike paths.
“For the past two years, we’ve been working closely with residents to re-imagine our 11-acre campus to chart the future of preventive health in the Beach Cities,” says Beach Cities Health District CEO Tom Bakaly. “This community open house allows us to update residents about how the Healthy Living Campus plans have developed and to continue to collect public input. The vision for this campus is a vibrant, research-driven center where people can learn and engage in healthy behaviors, form meaningful connections and be well…for many generations to come.”
Media Contact: Catherine Bem, Catherine.bem@bchd.org, 310-374-3426, ext. 255
WRINKLES IN TIME
by David Mendez, Easy Reader
Beach Cities Health District shows off its new plans for the future: Senior residences, community space, and the evolution of medical care
The Beach Cities Health District’s new Healthy Living Campus Master Plan includes a Community Wellness Pavilion, which looks to fuse meeting spaces, learning spaces and activities at the health district’s heart. Image courtesy Beach Cities Health District
South Bay Hospital opened in 1960 with 146 patient beds to help fill a gap in the Beach Cities, creating a central hub for acute and emergency medical care. The hospital expanded and contracted over the years, adding wings and beds before eventually cutting jobs and emergency services in the ’90s, transforming from an acute-care hospital district into the preventative care-focused Beach Cities Health District.
Now BCHD is seeking another transformation, by revitalizing its aging buildings at 510 and 514 N. Prospect Ave. in Redondo into a complex that they call the “Healthy Living Campus,” a plan that almost completely re-envisions the 11 acre site as a central hub for community health, including residential care for the elderly alongside the health district’s gym, child care and community education centers.
“Our campus was a hybrid — medical, with a little bit of community,” said BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “We’re now saying that we want to shift more to the community, with a little bit of medical, and we think that there’s a way to help fund that through residential care for the elderly, which is a need for the community.”
A master plan released at last month’s BCHD Board of Directors meeting shows plans to replace two major buildings, the hospital’s central plant and a parking structure with 608,339 total square feet of development. That plan including 420 residential care units for the elderly, a Child Development Center, a brand-new Center for Health and Fitness and acres of green open space.
The crown jewel of the development is the project’s Community Wellness Pavilion, a space viewed by district staff as a hub for community presentations, cooking demonstrations, meeting spaces, and a visitor/education center.
The open green space has designed as an active area, used for farmers markets, community events, and a free fitness space for events such as the Health District’s popular Zumba in the Park.
“I’m excited for the three beach cities and the Health District to lead the way in what community health looks like,” Bakaly said. “We’re doing that through our programs, and we’re wanting to know if the community wants to take that step to truly look like where we’re at and show how we can be a model for the rest of the country.”
Looking southwest at the existing BCHD campus (left) and the proposed Master Plan (right) from the intersection of Beryl Street and Flagler Lane. The Master Plan would place a Child Development Center near the intersection. Images courtesy Beach Cities Health District
The evolution of the site indicates a pivot for the Health District, which has recently found difficulty in retaining tenants and leasing medical office space on its medical campus. Medical office space on the site would be drastically reduced, while residential facilities for the elderly — which have a home on the site in Silverado Memory Care — would be expanded.
“Our goal is to further health and fill gaps; we don’t want to provide redundant services,” said BCHD spokesman Eric Garner. “We know there’s a need for residential care; we know there’s a need for us to have a space that furthers our mission for preventative health services; and we know that there’s a surplus of medical office buildings and spaces available to the community, so we don’t see that as a need.”
The project represents an approximate increase of 286,000 square feet in new development over the existing 11-acre campus. However, a traffic study commissioned by the Health District indicates that, though development on the site would nearly double, the campus would generate fewer daily, morning and evening peak hour trips than the existing site thanks to the severe reduction in medical office space.
“What we’re showing in preliminary trip estimates is, because we’re shifting uses, fewer trips will be generated,” Bakaly said. “Medical office use drives a lot more traffic and a much higher parking requirement.”
BCHD identified a need for housing after looking at demographic trends in the Beach Cities. Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhattan have some of the highest concentrations of Baby Boomers out of all cities in Los Angeles County, and population estimates figure that the median age will continue to climb. Providing housing, therefore, fits within the District’s mission to help residents age within their communities.
A 2016 study commissioned by the District further indicates that the region can support a net 400 additional senior residential units. Counting the existing 60 units run by Silverado, the new project would net 360 new senior units.
But the backlash against the development has been felt by many of its supporters — even one who often falls against new development plans.
A labeled chart of uses for the Beach Cities Health District Master Plan. Image courtesy BCHD.
Development activist Jim Light was brought in by BCHD to sit on its Community Working Group, and has continually been impressed by the changes made to the campus, including a push to swap surface parking for parking under the project.
“This is the first developer who has talked to the people, offered a plan, and redid it from the ground up,” Light said. “The public open space grew and is usable because it’s been consolidated; the gym grew substantially, and putting in that huge community center? I was actually astonished at what they came back with.”
Light also praised the architectural design, by Paul Murdoch Architects and Withee Malcolm Architects. He admits that he’s not fond of building 420 residential units, but notes that residential care facilities for the elderly generate fewer trips than medical office space.
“But I can understand it, especially if they’re going to set some of its prices at points Redondo residents can afford,” Light said. “I commend their activities, and they need to generate revenue to do that.”
The financials of the project — how much it will cost, and how the project will be phased — are planned for discussion at the Health District’s next Board of Directors meeting, Feb. 27. The likely cost of residences on the property is even further away.
“We haven’t been through environmental impact reports…but we want to make sure the community is OK with the philosophical shift in our evolution,” Bakaly said.
“The decision to focus on preventative health was directed in 1998 by a board that had the foresight to understand that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure,” Garner added. “The smart money is on prevention, and it’s time for the campus to reflect that.”
To Learn more about the Healthy Living Campus, visit bchdcampus.org or submit your feedback here
BEACH CITIES HEALTH DISTRICT UNVEILS REVISED, SMALLER CAMPUS PLANS WITH ROOFTOP GARDENS
By Kirsten Farmer, The Beach Reporter
The proposed Healthy Living Campus project coming to Redondo Beach hit a milestone Wednesday night, Jan. 22.
After postponing the project for almost a year, the Beach Cities Health District unveiled a revised master plan for its 11-acre campus between Prospect Avenue, Flagler Lane and Beryl Street in Redondo Beach.
The first redevelopment plans for the site and 63-year-old former hospital building were presented in 2017.
Those plans were met with concerns from the community about potential traffic impacts, building heights, integration with the surrounding area, broad community benefits, intergenerational programming and more green space.
In January 2018, BCHD pressed pause on getting city approval and instead, listened to consultants and the community to make revisions.
“We’ve been working with the community for the last year to take a broader view of our Healthy Living Campus,” said CEO Tom Bakaly in a phone interview Jan. 23. “What we heard was people wanted it to be intergenerational … a sense of place where the community could connect and be connected to the neighborhood … a place where we could showcase our center of excellence program that we have around community health.”
The re-imagined plan, which will downsize the site from its current 705,549 square feet to 608,339 square feet, took into account more than 1,000 comments from 60 community meetings.
It incorporates the following changes from the original plan:
- 4-storied buildings instead of 6-7 story buildings
- Nixing a planned parking structure from the Flagler lot
- An increase in active green space, including the addition of rooftop gardens
- A decrease in the total number of assisted living units from 460 to 420 (60 of those are already onsite memory care units at Silverado)
- The addition of a community wellness pavilion
- The removal of campus access from Diamond Street
The new plan will also include a modernized center for health and fitness, 420 residential care units for seniors, a community presentation hall as well as flexible meeting spaces, a demonstration kitchen, rooftop gathering spaces and a cafe.
Bakaly said the proposed, reworked master plan presented Wednesday accomplishes the goals raised in the public outreach process and more, including mitigating impacts such as traffic.
“It’s a master plan that really looks at what the campus could be for the next several years,” he said. “Over the next few months, the board will decide whether this is a master plan that they want to move forward with and begin the Environmental Impact Review process.”
The community will be invited to give input on the fresh design concept at open houses slated for March, according to BCHD officials.
The next board meeting to consider initiating that EIR process will be March 27.
For more information, visit bchd.org/healthylivingcampus.
BEACH CITIES HEALTH DISTRICT REDUCES FOOTPRINT, ADDS ROOFTOP GARDENS IN HEALTHY LIVING CAMPUS PLANS
By Kirsten Farmer, The Beach Reporter
The proposed Healthy Living Campus project coming to Redondo Beach hit a milestone Wednesday night.
After postponing the project for almost a year, the Beach Cities Health District unveiled a revised master plan for its 11-acre campus.
The first redevelopment plans for the site and 63-year-old former hospital building were presented in 2017.
Those plans were met with concerns from the community about potential traffic impacts, building heights, integration with the surrounding area, broad community benefits, intergenerational programming and more green space.
BCHD pressed pause on getting city approval and instead, listened to consultants and the community to make revisions.
“We’ve been working with the community for the last year to take a broader view of our Healthy Living Campus,” said CEO Tom Bakaly in a phone interview Jan. 23. “What we heard was people wanted it to be intergenerational ... a sense of place where the community could connect and be connected to the neighborhood ... a place where we could showcase our center of excellence program that we have around community health.”
The re-imagined plan, which will downsize the site from its current 705,549 square feet to 608,339 square feet, took into account more than 1,000 comments from 60 community meetings.
It incorporates the following changes from the original plan:
-
4-storied buildings instead of 6-7 story buildings
-
Nixing a planned parking structure from the Flagler lot
-
An increase in active green space, including the addition of rooftop gardens
-
The addition of a community wellness pavilion
-
The removal of campus access from Diamond Street
The new plan will also include a modernized center for health and fitness, 420 residential care units for seniors, a community presentation hall as well as flexible meeting spaces, a demonstration kitchen, rooftop gathering spaces and a Blue Zones cafe.
Bakaly said the proposed, reworked master plan presented Wednesday accomplishes the goals raised in the public outreach process and more, including mitigating impacts such as traffic.
“It’s a master plan that really looks at what the campus could be for the next several years,” he said. “Over the next few months, the board will decide whether this is a master plan that they want to move forward with and begin the Environmental Impact Review process.”
The community will be invited to give input on the fresh design concept at open houses slated for March, according to BCHD officials.
The next board meeting to consider initiating that EIR process will be March 27.
For more information, visit bchd.org/healthylivingcampus.
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