Ruling calls review of Seattle Children's Hospital expansion impacts inadequate

Seattle planners did not adequately review potential impacts of Seattle Children's Hospital's proposed expansion plan, a hearing examiner ruled. Ruling on the Laurelhurst Community Club's appeal of the city's environmental impact statement, the examiner said planners did not go into enough detail about how the proposal conflicted with city land-use policies or about 136 homes that would be demolished as part of the expansion. Planners must lay out how the proposal conflicts with certain city land-use policies and meets other stated city objectives, giving City Council members information they need to make a balanced decision, the examiner wrote.