Tehachapi News

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  The Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors (TVHD BOD) received the final report on the "buildability" and cost related to the current new hospital design at their monthly meeting on April 16. The news was not good.

“As a hospital consultant would you build this hospital?” asked Dr. Sam Conklin, president of the TVHD BOD.

After a moment of hesitation, Architectural Consultant Nick Nowiki simply answered,“No.”

Nowiki pointed out at the opening of his presentation that he was hired to provide an independent review.

“When I entered this job it was clear I was not going to be tied to anything that OSHPD [State of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development] had to say, that ASAI [Aspen Street Architects, Inc.] had to say, or anybody else,” he said. “I ask specifically for a set of drawings as they were approved by OSHPD. This is my opportunity to present you with a view of these efforts.”

Nowicki went on to describe the problems with the plan much as he had at the TVHD Building and Strategic Planning Committee meeting on April 9, listing security, parking issues, hallway issues, patient flow, receiving and storage, food preparation area infringement on public areas, load bearing/structural concerns for floors, additional personnel requirements based on the design.

Prior to his resignation, John Hicks, Project Manager for the TVHD followed with a presentation prepared by cost estimator Patrick Schlosser, who was unavailable for the meeting.

The costs were presented as follows: 
• $32,259569, or $717 per square foot for the modular design build
• $26,659,641, or $593 per square foot for conventional build out.

Hicks also provided a break down of the direct costs, contractors’ construction costs and so-called soft costs, such as gas, electrical, sewer hook up, etc.

Referring to the modular design, Hicks noted, “It has been described to me by ASAI as a prototype; an experiment and we are the guinea pigs. Those are their exact words.”

From the audience, it was questioned if the "buildability"/cost consultants had met with the original design team. 

“Where are they?” interjected an unidentified audience member.

Hicks replied, “They were invited to attend this meeting. They are not here.”

David Yarbrough, Chief Administrative Officer/Senior Planner at ASAI confirmed the invitation and asked to respond to the Tehachapi News’ questions via email.

“Without documentation to review, ASAI representative attendance at the April 16 board meeting would, again, be professionally non-contributive and economically inefficient, as was apparently recognized by Mr. Burgess in his email to me advising me of such, as well as instructing ASAI to discontinue any work on behalf of TVHD, as well as an advisory that ASAI could attend the board meeting as “concerned citizens.” This would be outside our contractual obligations, and without an opportunity to analyze the results of the third party reviewers, in advance of the meeting, as previously stated, ASAI attendance would be non-contributory.”

Yarbrough continued, “In our opinion, any review, absent an understanding of the many years of planning and programming upon which the specific design solution was developed is ultimately just another design professional's opinion of solution efficacy. Every design professional's approach, and every construction cost estimator's predictions is a result of their academic and experiential backgrounds.

Without an understanding of the specific design solution's foundation in who, what, where, why and how, garnered from an intensive staff inclusive process, any design solution review has nothing to do with the specific design solution developed as a result of the staff inclusive process. The report's value, then, must be received with this in mind.  Therefore, the results presented on April 9 and again on April 16, are just opinion, and not based on actual planning and programming processes.”

After a brief discussion, the board determined they wanted additional input from the public and decided to hold an additional special public meeting on the subject before going forward with any decision.

Via voicemail, Allen Burgess, Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District CEO said, “A date has yet to be set for this meeting and it will probably not happen before May 7. We will notify the Tehachapi News as soon as a date is set so it can be published.”

The Tehachapi News was unable to connect with Mr. Burgess for further questions and answers.

When asked if ASAI would attend the special meeting and the regularly scheduled board meeting, Yarbrough said, “ASAI is a contracted consultant to the TVHD Board. If our presence is requested, by the board, in accordance with our contractual obligations, we will of course, be there.”

Following his official resignation, Hicks expressed his concern for a delay in the decision to either to move forward or to drop the project.

“I was really disappointed when they decided to postpone the inevitable decision, which ever way it goes for another two to four weeks,” Hicks said. “I’m thinking of the community here, because the community is waiting and looking for a ‘lets go’ one way or another.”

He continued, “They [the board] had been getting detailed project reports from me, plus they had the independent review, so in my mind they have all the information they need to make a decision either way. Either to go forward or do something else. If they want to make this thing work then let’s go that direction, figure out how to afford it, and how to build it with reduced risk, then go.”

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for May 21 at the Golden Hills Community Center, 21415 Reeves St., at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend.