Major institutions such as health care and education facilities must follow a process regulated by the City of Seattle’s land use code. When planning for campus development, all institutions complete a Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) which must be approved by the Seattle City Council. Major milestones in the process are represented in the below graphic and relevant documents from the master plan process and the simultaneous environmental process are available online.
A City-appointed Citizens Advisory Committee is helping Children’s Hospital develop their MIMP, representing a variety of community interests throughout the planning process.
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Currently, the hospital has created the Preliminary Draft Master Plan and the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development has released the Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement for comments from various agencies such as the Seattle Department of Transportation and the CAC. In spring 2008, the Draft Master Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be released and there will be a formal public comment period.
In general, the MIMP lays out a plan for how development will happen over time and regulates development elements such as structure setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, landscaping, open space, parking and transportation. The MIMP defines these elements in three specific components:
- Development Standards: The development standards address the physical development of a major institution including building height, landscaping, set backs and open space.
- Transportation Management Plan: The transportation management plan addresses existing and proposed parking, potential traffic impacts, pedestrian and traffic circulation and the hospital’s efforts to reduce traffic impacts and encourage alternate modes of transportation.
- Development Program: The development program addresses both planned and potential physical development including campus density and the location of open space and planned development.