AdventHealth seeks rezoning for 23-acre hospital-support site; council asks staff to consider deed restrictions

AdventHealth’s representatives asked the Zephyrhills City Council Aug. 25 for a rezoning of roughly 23 acres east of the hospital from planned-unit development and R-4 multifamily to a C-3 commercial district to accommodate hospital-support uses including parking and medical-office expansion.

Why it matters: Rezoning will change allowable uses and the site’s development path; council members voiced concern that a straight C-3 zoning could allow automotive sales or heavy-repair uses that would be incompatible with hospital-support purposes and nearby neighborhoods.

Planning Director William McCaw presented staff analysis and said the property’s future-land-use split (mixed-use and public/semi-public) supports a C-3 implementing district for the hospital-support plan. The planning commission heard the application and voted unanimously to recommend approval to council. The applicant’s team — planner Tom Sikarski of RVI Planning and land-use attorney Barbara Wilhite — told council that no site plan has been submitted yet and proposed uses include paved parking, medical support services and offices; the applicant also said it would consider preserving the existing community garden in exchange for preservation of some trees.

Council reaction: Council members asked how to prevent unrelated commercial uses that are allowed outright in C-3 zoning (such as vehicle sales or heavy equipment uses) from locating on the site in the future. Attorney Barbara Wilhite suggested the council could direct staff to pursue deed restrictions to remove specific incompatible uses from the list of allowable uses, if council wanted that assurance before rezoning.

Next steps: Council did not vote to adopt rezoning on Aug. 25; staff asked for direction and the applicant said it would work with staff to craft deed restrictions if council preferred limited permitted uses. Staff will prepare the required public-hearing materials and, if directed, draft deed-restriction language for council consideration prior to a first reading or final action.

Provenance: Planning Department report and applicant presentation recorded at the Aug. 25 City Council meeting.