Measure E And The New Lompoc Hospital

This week at the Lompoc Rotary meeting Dr. Coughlin said how necessary it is to pass Measure E. This bond will raise $74.5 million to build a state of the art Intensive Care Unit and help Lompoc Hospital meet earthquake safety standards.

Which really means that the hospital will be rebuilt according to the Measure's supporters.

Many in that room Wednesday night will, no doubt, have need of the good Doctor's professional services sometime in the future. Everyone present agreed the measure not only should pass, but would pass if the voters filled out the mail-in ballot as soon as they receive it.

Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the special assessment district on August 15th. A yes vote of two-thirds, or 66.66%, is required for passage.

Later, talking with another supporter, I was asked, "if the Measure passes and construction begins as soon as April 2006, where will the new hospital be built?"

A spokesperson at the campaign office stated the new building site would be approximately six acres. "The hospital board is looking at a number of potential sites around town," she said.

If the measure fails, the hospital faces closure by 2013 or later due to the building's unsafe seismic condition. The facility does not meet current earthquake safety standards. Sphere: Related Content