Politics & Government

GEPENC To Request Dismissal of Barlow Respiratory Hospital EIR

The hospital is looking to rezone portions of its property to allow for a residential complex.

The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council spoke out against the Barlow Respiratory Hospital Environmental Impact Report at its meeting on Tuesday. The council agreed to write to the Los Angeles Planning Department to request the dismissal of the hospital’s EIR.

GEPENC President Ari Bessendorf said the Barlow Respiratory Hospital EIR is currently under review in the Planning Department and if the EIR is dismissed, the hospital will have to start the process again.

Residents expressed concern over the hospital's proposal to rezone its property to allow for them to sell to a developer who can construct residential units. Patch has previously reported this process began in 2009, when Barlow Respiratory Hospital first put the property up for sale with plans to build a large residential complex.

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District Four representative Tad Yenawise said he can’t in good conscious support the project because none of the residents he spoke with were in favor of the project.

“I received 20 e mails from people who had concerns,” Yenawise said. “My only objection is (our resolution) doesn’t go far enough.”

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The Barlow Respiratory Hospital has been looking to sell its property to raise money for a new hospital. The Eastsider LA reported Wednesday the hospital has agreed to sell about half of its campus to a developer.

Chief Executive Margaret Crane told the Eastsider LA, Tuesday, that Barlow reached an agreement to sell the portions of the land west of Stadium way but declined to identify the developer.

Crane previous told the Los Angeles Times if the hospital can’t raise the funds it needs from the sale, it will go out of business. 


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