CMH street vacation

The hospital board president said the vacation improves pedestrian and patient safety, allows traffic calming, and shifts street maintenance costs from the city to CMH.

A resident of 595 18th Street (listed as Christopher Davies in the minutes) worried about traffic safety on the narrow Franklin Avenue stretch between 17th and 18th Streets and asked whether any roadway improvements or ambulance routing plans exist for that area.

The hospital's CEO went on record supporting the street vacation, citing improved campus circulation, wayfinding, caregiver safety, and controlled crossings, and said ambulance and delivery traffic flows would not change.

She said she's not opposed but believes the City isn't ready, presenting her own parking counts (102 and 156 spaces with single exits) and urging a full traffic impact analysis — paid for by the applicant — plus valuation of land conveyed before any final approval.