Children's and its neighbors are battling over the expansion plan, and now the Seattle City Council will be judge and jury.

Right now, there's enough room for 250 kids at Children's Hospital. But some days, that's not enough.

Last year, Jon Lane's daughter, Emma, was airlifted from Juneau. An ambulance rushed her to Children's. She was a victim of E.coli.

But when she got to Children's, the family found out there was no bed for her. After emergency treatment, Emma was sent to Mary Bridge hospital in Tacoma.

This year, Children's has turned away 79 patients.

"We predict by 2012, if we are not able to have more beds that will be more like 80 kids a day," said hospital spokesperson Lisa Brandenburg.

Children's says it wants to stay in Seattle, but needs to expand. The hospital hopes to add 600 more patient beds in phases over 20 years. The first phase would bring the total number of beds to 336 by 2012.

But it is the sheer size of the hospital's proposal that has some neighbors worried.

"The community council supports doubling the square footage but not tripling it," said Jeanie Hale of Laurelhurst Community Council. "It's inconsistent with the comprehensive plan, the land use code and the environmental laws."

A city hearing examiner agreed, but the hospital appealed. Now, the city council must decide.

But don't call council members or send them e-mails. The law prevents them from talking with either side.

"There isn't a big open debate about it, because you are right. We have judges' hats on," said council member Sally Clark.

But the council chambers were filled.

And then there's Emma Lane. She's had a stroke. She's had a kidney transplant. She has diabetes.

"We never know whether we are going to be spending the night in the hospital or not, because her situation is so fragile," Jon Lane said. "We depend on Children's Hospital."

Jon Lane says he hopes the hospital and the community can find a compromise, end the fight and build more beds for sick kids.

The Seattle City Council will hold three meetings in January.

But because the council sitting as a quasi-judicial group, the council is are not allowed to have private or ex parte talks with either proponents or opponents of the proposed expansion of Children's Hospital.

Friends of the hospital have been urging people to write or e-mail council members. But the staffers are literally removing those letters and e-mails, because under the law, the council members cannot look at them.

The only people to testify at any of the hearings will be the 11 who filed appeals to the city's hearing examiner's ruling against the hospital's expansion plan.

Council member Sally Clark, who chairs the Land Use Committee, expects a final decision by March.

The council can affirm the hearing examiner's decision, overrule it or come up with its findings and a compromise.

At one time during today's hearing, Clark said, I hope we can resolve this rather than just being "a speed bump on the road to Superior Court."