Scripps Ranch residents came out in numbers Thursday evening to protest a 450-bed hospital that Kaiser Permanente is considering.
“We are thankful the community came out the way they did. This is the process we like to go through,” said Rodger Dougherty of Kaiser.
Over 100 residents filled the library in Scripps Ranch. It was standing room only. Even children came out with signs, ready to voice their opinion.
Resident Chaz Hallmark will go to Thurgood Marshall Middle School -- across the street from the proposed building site. Parents say traffic is already a nightmare near the school, and a hospital would make it worse.
“Being dropped off and picked up should be easy and safe, not stressful and dangerous,” Hallmark said.
In response to this concern, Kaiser presented a traffic solution. The plans would include widening Pomerado Rd. to four lanes and creating several access points to the hospital away from the school.
“We would undertake whatever mitigation we'd need to ensure safety of those children. That would be a huge priority,” Dougherty said.
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A member of the Scripps Ranch Elder Care Alliance spoke up at the meeting, arguing that having a hospital in close proximity to homes for the elderly would allow those individuals to “age in place,” the member said.
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