HCA recently completed an expansion of Los Robles Hospital which has resulted in a doubling of its size. The stated basis at the time was to meet earthquake standards and to alleviate overcrowding.

Now a couple of years later HCA wants to again double the size of the hospital, the reason again being the need to meet statemandated earthquake standards. This seems like a very convenient excuse to expand, but what’s the real reason?

Hospital management stated several times that the plan for the current proposal is to move patient beds and certain medical services from the existing structure to the yet-to-be-completed structure and retain the old structure for administrative and storage purposes.

Now we’re learning there’s more to it–the hospital also wants to expand the number of beds, even though the number of beds currently in use is 20 percent less than what was permitted in 2002. Now we’re also learning the proposed new construction isn’t a new requirement but was contemplated when the recently completed addition was initiated years ago.

The EIR recently completed is very shallow in its portrayal of the environmental impacts on the community. Traffic and pollution no doubt will be insufferable during and after construction.

No less an impact will be on property values. No attempt has been made by the city or hospital to do a property valuation assessment. Think about eight more years of incessant traffic, noise, dust and other pollution. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the impact will be devastating.

HCA has stated that expansion into the old Westlake Hospital would be too costly. However, they have no qualms in expecting our surrounding neighborhoods to bear the costs in terms of lost property values, pollution, horrific traffic and disruption.

We realize that the affected communities are in the minority compared to the totality of Thousand Oaks. But we shouldn’t be considered expendable pawns and hope that the entire Thousand Oaks community will understand and support our efforts to stop HCA’s current expansion plans.

The planned expansion is on the City Council’s Tues., July 13 agenda.
Lou Kustudia
Thousand Oaks