Developer, Tampa General seek Citrus Hills DRI changes to allow 400‑bed hospital, helipad

The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission at its March meeting recommended approval, by a 6‑1 vote, of amendments to the Citrus Hills development of regional impact (DRI) that would allow Hampton Hills LLC and Florida Health Sciences Center doing business as Tampa General Hospital to develop approximately 53 acres in Parcel A for a hospital site, including provisions for a medical helipad and increases in allowable nonresidential square footage.

The commission’s recommendation sends the application (PUD 3064) to the Board of County Commissioners with conditions including a required Type C buffer where the expanded business/commercial office (BCO) use would abut residential land to the north. The motion, moved by Commissioner Robert Sherra and seconded by Commissioner Michael Facemeyer, passed six‑one; Commissioner David Bramblett recorded the lone opposing vote.

Why it matters: Applicants and county staff told the commission that Citrus County’s existing hospitals and emergency departments are frequently at capacity and that a centrally located regional hospital would serve a gap in acute care. The application proposes a multi‑phase hospital project (applicant materials show an initial phase of roughly 120 beds with later expansion to a 400‑bed facility), a helipad, added commercial square footage to accommodate the hospital and related uses, and limited land‑use shifts within the DRI.

Applicant presentation and requests Eric Abel, vice president of Hampton Hills LLC, and Addie (“Ady”) Clark, director of entitlements for Gardner Brewer Hudson, presented the…