08/30/82 Board of Public Works Minutes

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397 REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 30. 1982 CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC HEARING AND RECOMMENDATION - VACATION OF MADISON STREET, ST. PETER STREET AND ALLEY (ST. JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER) Mr. Leszczynski stated that the Board had continued the public hear- ing on the proposed vacation of Madison Street, St. Peter Street and the westerly portion.of the east -west alley between St, Louis and St. Peter Street as petitioned by St. Joseph's Medical Center from the August 23rd meeting of the Board in an effort to meet with hospital personnel and the residents and affected businesses in the vicinity of the hospital to try and resolve some of their concerns. A meeting had, therefore, been held on.August 26th at the hopsital. Mr. John Ford, Attorney at Law, 1800 American National Bank Building, introduced Mr. Donald Larimore, Senior Vice President of the Medical. Center. Mr. Larimore referred to a drawing of the facility and surrounding area which highlighted the hospital's plans for the $20 million expansion program. Mr, Larimore stated that a part of the plan called for the expansion of the front entrance of the facility and a drive -through at that entrance off the proposed vacated portion of Madison and St. Peter Streets. In addition, a portion of the east -west alley �. between St. Louis and St. Peter Streets was being requested to accommodate parking. Mr. Larimore explained that, as a result (29 of the meeting on August 26th, the hospital addressed the concern of the businesses fronting on LaSalle Street in the area Q of the alley proposed to be vacated and, because of their concern for delivery access, easements would be given for use of the vacated alley which would cross the hospital's parking lot. Mr. James Nafe, Attorney at Law, 320 West Jefferson, representing the Western and Southern Life Insurance Company which owned property at the northeast_ corner of St. Peter and LaSalle Streets, advised that the vacation of the alley portion was not a concern to his client and the easements to be granted to the businesses on LaSalle Street had no effect on the insurance company's objection to the vacation of Madison Street and St. Peter Street.. He stated that a street vacation was a very definite and final action and his client was concerned about the accessibility of its property for its customers and employees if the only access to the parking lot was off LaSalle and St. Peter Streets. He objected to the creation of a dead-end street, and stated that all traffic which normally utilized Madison Street would now have to use LaSalle and there would only be one way in which the customers and employees of Western and Southern Life would have access to the office facility. Mr. Larimore pointed out that, as far as traffic was concerned, the hospital presently had three major entrances into its parking areas and the proposed plan was to primarily generate traffic coming into the facility on St. Peter Street from LaSalle and direct all traffic to the three exits so that St. Peter would carry only traffic coming into the facility. He explained that the shift changes were such that the heaviest traffic into the facility would occur prior to normal business hours and during business hours thus alleviating congestion. Councilwoman Beverlie Beck stated that the Council's Residential Neighborhood Committee of which she was chairwoman had become involved in the proposed vacation because of some of the concerns of the residents and business establishments in the viciniiy of the hospital. She stated that she had attended the meeting held on August 26th at the hospital and as she saw it, the concerns were mainly the excessive traffic on LaSalle and the fact that it would increase with the closing of Madison Street; the concern about water run-off from the hospital's property; why the entrance expansion could not be constructed to the east of the hospital where space was available rather than closing Madison Street; and the concern of adjacent businesses as to accessibility to their properties from the north. Mr. Leszczynski asked Mr. Larimore if the hospital had considered the possibility of constructing a parking garage extending out over Madison rather than closing the street. Mr. Larimore stated that it had been determined such construction would not be feasible because of the high cost involved. He stated that the cost of structured parking was four times as