By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
1-29-2009

The slow-as-molasses state permitting process has put a damper on construction at Northern Inyo Hospital.
Construction of the long-awaited, brand-new two-story hospital building is now expected to begin in March, with an estimated completion date a little more than two years from now – six months later than originally anticipated.
Demolition of the 1946 wing of NIH went on schedule according to contractors, but Hospital Administrator John Halfen said Wednesday that they are awaiting final approval of design plans from California’s Office of State Health and Planning Development, or OSHPD.
Halfen said the delays were not wholly unexpected. “Any time you’re dealing with the state or OSHPD, you can expect some delays.”
Halfen added that OSHPD is now working two fewer days a month because of state mandated furloughs, due to the state’s monetary meltdown, and so there are fewer OSHPD man-hours to work on permits.
The permit is for approval of the building designs, subsequently the $4 million in foundation work cannot get started until that permit is issued. Halfen said he expects the permit by March and construction should commence.

Construction of the new NIH main building has been stalled by pending permit approval from the state. Demolition of the 1946 wing of the hospital (above) was completed in early December, and construction is now slated to begin in March. Photo by Mike Bodine

He added once the permit is obtained, it will be the last permit needed unless “major changes” arise during the construction.
The delay will push up the completion date of the new hospital from mid-2010, as predicted in the initial planning stages in 2004, to early 2011. Halfen explained that the plan “has slipped about six months” due to various delays, mostly permit related.
He said the hospital has lost some money in the delays, “but, it’s hard to put a dollar amount on the time lost.”