Gustav Larsson was a “NO SHOW,” not a broker for PAMF compromise

The San Jose Mercury Editorial dated Sept 27, 2013 is falsely stating that “Gustav Larsson calmed residents and brokered a compromise with the city over the PAMF expansion.”

Brokered a compromise? The truth is that Gustav Larsson “dropped out” of the Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation PAMF residential advocacy mid-process, in fact, he was a “NO SHOW” at the Sunnyvale Planning Commission Hearing just a few weeks prior to the Council vote – when each voice and issue mattered!

If Gustav had brokered a deal, wouldn’t it make sense that the Sunnyvale Sun would have interviewed him instead of Jeff Jones? CLICK HERE for the dropbox link to the Sunnyvale Sun interview with Jeff Jones for an article, dated April 29, 2009, regarding the PAMF Sunnyvale Heritage Neighborhood project revision. 

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PAMF Sutter Health Exhaust Vents Called “Substantive Disregard of Human Health” for 80-Year-Old Woman

To me, the most disturbing and distasteful feature of the Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation, designed by Hawley Peterson Snyder, is the nonchalant placement of the Parking Garage Exhaust Vent adjacent to an 80-year-old woman’s home which was omitted from study in the PAMF DEIR/FEIR.

PAMF Parking Garage Vents

During the June 23, 2009 Council Hearing, a compelling speaker, Trustee Robert Varesio, implored “The Planning Commission would not address or answer my questions about persistent proximate exposure.”      

Sept 22nd a Monumental Social Justice Day Outcry to Sutter Health with 20,000 Nurses Striking and PAMF Court Hearing

Sept. 22nd marked a monumental day of outcry for social justice directed at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, a subsidiary of Sutter Health. as it faced not only the Sunnyvale PAMF EIR Appeal Court Hearing, but also dealt with the largest labor action in years as over 20,000 registered nurses went on strike.

Sutter Nurses Strike Sept 22, 2011 Credit Courtesy Community Commons

Nurse Morgan stated “Sutter’s focus is on money,” she said. “The nurses’ focus is on patients. Even though Sutter says they are in the business for patients, their actions speak louder than words.”

The president of the largest labor federation in the nation joined striking nurses on a Berkeley picket line. He criticized corporate hospital leaders for what union members say are 200 proposed cutbacks by Sutter Health in employee benefits and patient services.

From the Sunnyvale PAMF perspective, I agree. In my opinion, placing two intense parking garage vents emitting toxic air contaminants known to cause cancer within a few feet of elderly residential homes spoke of insensitivity and a lack of residential and elder respect.

Click Here for the Oakland Tribune “Nurses at Nearly Three Dozen Hospitals in California Hospitals Strike” By Kristin J. Bender 09/22/11

Sunnyvale PAMF EIR Traffic Study A Morse Code to “The Boss”

The PAMF FEIR Traffic Analysis, apparently a Morse code to Sunnyvale Planning Officer Trudi Ryan, as well,  emails the Environmental Preparers David J Powers at the last-minute for HELP.

With only 4 DAYS until the June 23, 2009 Council Hearing, Ryan emails a request, “Karli and John, can you ask Fehr and Peers to provide an estimate of the percent of traffic on Bayview and Carroll that are associated with PAMF.”    

PAMF Chimney Type Parking Garage Vents Dispel Hazardous Air Pollutants Adjacent to Residential Homes

How did the objectionable, massive, 94dBA Parking Garage Exhaust Vents for the Sunnyvale Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF),  fly under the radar without full public disclosure or analysis?

Architects Hawley Peterson Synder state the purpose of the imposing PAMF Garage Exhaust Vents, is to ventilate the carbon monoxide/air toxins/exhaust accumulating from vehicles circulating, parking and exiting PAMF’s two-level, 150,000 s.f. underground garage to total the capacity of 399 parking spaces.

Notably non-existent and missing from the PAMF Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and the Final Environmental Impact Report(FEIR) were any identifiable Architectural Illustrations, discussions or analysis of the loud, powerful vent structures designed to be placed just a few feet away from residential homes.

14 Foot Tower PAMF Parking Garage Exhaust Vents Adjacent to Residents Home

(Click image to enlarge)

The placement of the vents was discovered shortly before the June 8th Sunnyvale Commission Hearing, when, despite months of meetings with the Sunnyvale Planning Staff, a keen resident, Tynna Jones, pointed to the two empty boxes on an illustration, identified simply with an “x,” at both the northwest and northeast of the PAMF site design and asked “what are these?”

Trudi Ryan, serving as both PAMF EIR Lead Agency and Sunnyvale Planner, responded, “oh, I don’t know, I’ll find out.”

Thus began a frustrating, perilous quest to find out what the function of the vents were for, what would be the intensity of the noise measured by dBA, what amount and how dangerous would the toxic emissions be (still not adequately answered), Air Quality impacts, the distance from each property lines, etc, only to be subject to vague and non-responsive answers from the Sunnyvale Planning Staff.

As a matter of fact, Sunnyvale Planner Steve Lynch replied to our inquires “Your comments will be forwarded to the Sunnyvale Commissioners.” “Comments?” we replied, “these are questions!”

Our questions were of little concern to the Sunnyvale Planning Staff and never fully answered.

This illustration of the vents, from Hawley Peterson Synder Architects, was presented and viewed for the first time on June 23, 2009 during the Council Hearing.

Both Sunnyvale Council Members John Howe and Melinda Hamilton remarked about the vents during the hearing, “I wouldn’t want to live near those . . .” yet approved and voted “yes” anyway.

Solely identified by decibel levels of the PAMF parking lot vents for each (east and west unit): FEIR Appendix J, pg 13 states 94 dBA at 5 feet. Both vents are 40-horsepower garage exhaust fans and very close to residential homes. According to Table 2, 94 dBA falls within the range of Night Club with live music.