EVERETT – Providence Everett Medical Center officials have postponed an appearance before the Everett Historical Commission to “reassess” their expansion plans.

The historical commission’s Wednesday night meeting agenda included a public hearing about the hospital’s proposal to demolish a block of homes it owns in a historic district in northwest Everett.

Providence announced Friday that it had decided to delay that hearing to gather more information. The delay will allow the hospital to more concretely answer the questions of city officials, the historical commission and neighbors, spokeswoman Teresa Wenta said.

At a recent neighborhood meeting with hospital officials, residents implored Providence to exhaust all possible expansion options before demolishing the houses.

Neighbors suggested that the hospital explore alternative building sites, including a nearby Everett Community College athletic field and a neighborhood park the hospital owns.

Hospital officials are “eager to avail ourselves for presentation and discussion,” hospital chief executive Gail Larson in a letter sent to neighbors Friday.

Wenta said “as a courtesy to the Donovan (district) residents, we want to take one more look and see if there are any options we didn’t identify.”

As part of the hospital’s long-term growth plan, designed to keep up with Snohomish County’s population growth and a steady increase in hospital visits, Providence officials say the hospital needs to add hundreds of additional patient beds and parking spots.

The second reason for the delay, Larson wrote, is to firm up some unanswered questions regarding the process the hospital must go through to get city approval for its projects.

City officials said this week that it could take until June to complete the approval process – several months longer than hospital officials had anticipated.

The hospital believes it is in the best interest of the historical commission, neighbors and the public to “defer our presentation until the consultant’s report is obtained and the approval process is more clearly defined,” Larson wrote.

Neighbors, who have rallied to save the 20 homes and keep the historic district intact, were pleased to hear the news.

“I think they’re covering their butts. They are having to step back and look at the way they’re approaching this expansion,” said Stephanie Larson, a neighbor who helped organize the group Save the Donovan District.

The district is named for a Everett real estate developer Edward Donovan, who built the 80 homes and many others in the area between 1925 and 1931.

To try to garner support, a handful of residents in the historic district recently opened their homes for public tours. Almost 250 people stopped by for a look, Larson said.

The effort continues. The Save the Donovan District group will meet at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the piano lounge at Washington Oakes, 1717 Rockefeller Ave.

“I think the neighborhood had a pretty loud voice that the hospital didn’t expect,” Larson said.

Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@heraldnet.com.