Stanford has proposed a major expansion project for the Medical Center, but will first have to settle the details with the city of Palo Alto. Although the project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will not be completed until December, some community members have already expressed discontent about the potential impact of the 1.3 million square-foot expansion.

The proposed expansion would replace nearly half century-old buildings with newer, larger facilities. The project includes 104 new beds for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and new medical office buildings. Stanford Hospital would be entirely replaced with a new 600-bed facility.

“We need to increase square footage to accommodate our current operation in appropriately scaled space,” said Mark Tortorich, vice president of facilities at the medical center. “Where two patients share a room today, each patient will have their own.”

While the Medical School would not undergo any square footage expansion under the proposal, some of its 1950s research facilities would be replaced with new, state-of-the-art buildings.

Although Palo Alto City Council members have yet to see detailed expansion plans, some members have expressed concern about the proposal. Council member Peter Drekmeier said he is concerned about the impacts of the expansion on housing and traffic.

“When you add 1.3 million square feet of new development, that’s going to bring in a lot of new employees,” Drekmeier said, citing a study by a city consultant that estimated an additional 37,000 new employees would service the planned square footage additions. “More people means more traffic and that’s a concern to the surrounding communities. With all the concern about global warming, we really need to plan well and help encourage smart growth.”

Bern Beecham and other Council members said they wanted to reserve judgment until they have seen definitive plans.

“We need to let the EIR be drafted, look at it, comment on it and go from there,” Beecham said. “To try and pre-determine outcomes with no real information isn’t worthwhile for anyone.”