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Commissioners direct staff to design public outreach on future of Rest Haven property
Summary
After staff reports on permitted uses and building condition, commissioners asked for a public survey and a night workshop to gather community input before deciding whether to pursue a public‑private partnership, rehabilitation or alternative uses for the county‑owned Rest Haven site.
Hardee County commissioners at their Oct. 2 meeting directed staff to prepare a public engagement plan — including an initial community survey and a night‑time workshop — to gather resident input on the future of Rest Haven, the county‑owned five‑acre facility on Rest Haven Road.
County staff and elected officials described the property’s history, a range of zoning‑compatible uses and substantial deferred maintenance and regulatory barriers that would affect any effort to reopen the facility for residential or institutional use.
Community development staff said the parcel is zoned A‑1 (agricultural) with an agriculture future‑land‑use designation. Director Miller told the board the A‑1 district permits many uses by right — for example stables, agricultural storage, single‑family homes, churches, cemeteries, schools and outdoor recreation — but that facilities such as assisted‑living or group homes would require special‑exception approval. Miller also noted the county’s ability, in certain cases, to evaluate proposed uses not explicitly listed in the permitted‑uses table and treat them as similar uses for special‑exception review.
County staff and commissioners agreed that the building needs extensive repairs. The county manager and operations staff reported prior work stopped during construction, leaving missing floor areas and other unfinished conditions. A county official offered a preliminary figure of roughly $1.25–$1.5 million in repairs and system replacement (for example, septic and building systems) as an order‑of‑magnitude estimate; staff emphasized more complete inspections would be required to develop a final cost estimate.
Several commissioners described community interest in restoring Rest Haven as a local assisted‑living or residential care facility; county economic‑development staff said recruiting an assisted‑living operator is an ongoing objective. County attorney and county staff discussed public‑private partnership (P3) options under Florida statute that could preserve county ownership while enlisting private operators and leveraging private financing; the county attorney described P3s as legally available but procedurally complex and typically involving a year or more of evaluation and negotiation.
Commissioners expressed unanimous concern that the county should not assume an ongoing subsidy or take on significant debt without clear financial feasibility. Several commissioners said they favored partnering with private operators if a financially viable proposal could be developed.
The board instructed county staff to return to the board with a proposed outreach plan and timeline: staff will prepare a draft community survey for board review at the first meeting in November, then (if directed) release the survey, compile results and hold a night workshop (with the Central Florida Regional Planning Council or county staff assisting) before making a policy decision. The board requested that any future materials include cost estimates prepared by building and code staff and clear descriptions of financial‑risk options (including P3 terms, lease or sale scenarios).
