California Department of State Hospitals Metropolitan State Hospital Modernization Project (Increased Security Fence and Bed Capacity, Project No. 140663)

California Department of State Hospitals Metropolitan State Hospital Modernization Project (Increased Security Fence and Bed Capacity, Project No. 140663)

The proposed project is for the partial modernization of MSH, which includes upgrade security and facility features, which would allow the hospital to increase its bed capacity by approx. 250 patients/beds. The proposed project includes the construction of a 3,500 sq. ft. visitor center to replace the existing 1,500 sq. ft. visitor center. The existing building would remain in place and be converted to an employee break facility and substation for the Hospital Police Dept. The new visitor center would be a one-story building located south of the SNF. The building would include a lobby/waiting area, three private visiting rooms, separate visitor and patient restrooms, and two secured entryways consisting of a series of doors and gates, called "sally ports." The visitor building would be 15.5 feet high. The building's roof would include 6.6 foot high mechanical equipment screens on all four elevations, making the building appear to be 22.1 feet high. The project proposes to provide upgraded security features to two buildings which house patients, Continuing Treatment West (CTW) and Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), as well as for the park area. The majority of parking spaces surrounding the CTW and SNF buildings would be relocated to a new parking lot to accommodate the new security fencing around the Continuing Treatment West (CTW) and SNF buildings, and to improve vehicular circulation. This parking lot would replace the open space east of the CTW building and south of the SNF building and visitor center. Upon project implementation, the southern part of the MSH campus would accommodate 634 parking spaces, or 71 more spaces compared to existing conditions. The total number of parking spaces on the MSH campus would be 1,619. The primary vehicular access for the CTW, SNF and CTE would be from an existing sally port (i.e. a secured entry consisting of a series of doors and gates) located on Date Street and from a new sally port west of the Visitor Center. The project proposes new lighting fixtures along the new security fence. The proposed 180-watt LED, pole-mounted light fixtures would be 25-fet tall and would be approx. 60 feet apart along the new fence. Lighting would be directed downward and shielded to avoid spillage onto neighboring residential properties along Balsam Street. The existing oleander shrubs would remain in place and new 5-gallon Hopbush shrubs, would be planted along Balsam Street between 5th Street and the terminus of Balsam Street, beyond 9th Street. The new shrubs, which are expected to grow 8-12 feet in height, would provide a landscape buffer between the residential homes west of the chain-link fence. New irrigation lines would be installed to ensure the new landscaping is maintained. Construction of the new security fence and relocation of the parking area west of the CTW building would remove approx. 10 the mature ornamental trees on the east side of Balsam Street. These trees would be replaced with approx. 27, 15-gallon trees. Sixteen new trees would also be planted along Balsam between 8th Street and 9th Street to help conceal the existing water tanks.

Norwalk

Los Angeles