Council approves zoning and comp-plan changes to create 'Planned Public Hospital' district for Sarasota Memorial Venice

The Venice City Council voted this morning to permit Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) to rezone its Venice campus to a new Planned Public Hospital (PPH) district and to transmit a related comprehensive-plan amendment, allowing a taller, denser hospital campus at 2600 E. Laurel Road.

The actions — a land‑development text amendment, a comprehensive‑plan amendment and a zoning map amendment — were approved on first reading after staff and the applicant said entitlements would align SMH Venice with other SMH campuses. The rezoning passed 6–1, with Council Member Ron Smith casting the lone no vote.

The rezoning and plan changes would allow a maximum building height of 150 feet (up from the city’s typical 84-foot maximum) and increase the maximum floor‑area ratio (FAR) for the site to 3.0, according to staff and the applicant. The property is roughly 65 acres and is designated Mixed Use Corridor in the city’s future‑land‑use map.

Why it matters: Council members and hospital representatives said the changes would let SMH plan vertically for efficient hospital operations and future services for south Sarasota County. Opponents warned a 150‑foot height limit and a tripling of FAR would alter the corridor’s scale and called for more public review of traffic and visual impacts.

What staff, the applicant and council said - Britney Smith, planner for the City of Venice, told council the text amendment and comp‑plan revision "are consistent with the overreaching intent" of the Laurel Road mixed‑use strategies and that the application had been reviewed by the technical review committee. - Jackson Boone, attorney for the applicant, said the rezoning is intended to implement the hospital’s binding master plan and to match entitlements already granted at other SMH campuses. He argued vertical stacking is a standard hospital design that shortens internal travel distances and improves operational efficiency. - Council Member Ron Smith opposed the package, saying, "This is not something to be done lightly. ... This is the third amendment to the comprehensive plan since we adopted the new comprehensive plan ... This is a massive change to our comprehensive plan." Smith also said the proposed height increase “would change the entire scale of our city.” - Supporters, including Council Members Rick Howard and Jim Bolt, said expanding hospital services locally is a priority for residents and that vertical design can be more efficient for patient care and response times.

Votes and next steps - Ordinance 2025‑26 (text amendment creating the PPH district) was approved on first reading and scheduled for final reading (motion by Council Member Kevin Engelke; seconded by Vice Mayor Jim Bolt). The first‑reading vote passed unanimously. - Ordinance 2025‑27 (comprehensive plan amendment recognizing the PPH district and modifying intensity standards) was approved on first reading and transmitted to the Florida Department of Commerce for state review; vote 6–1 (Smith opposed). - Ordinance 2025‑28 (zoning map amendment rezoning 2600 E. Laurel Road to PPH with binding master plan modifications) was approved on first reading; vote 6–1 (Smith opposed).

Council and staff emphasized that site‑level requirements — updated transportation impact analyses and utility master planning — will be completed at the site‑plan and development‑plan stage. Staff also noted the hospital currently meets an approved Phase‑1 trip generation threshold (179 peak‑hour trips for the currently approved phase) and that further analyses will be required if development exceeds that level.

Ending: The items were approved on first reading; final readings and state review are next steps. If adopted, the entitlements would permit SMH Venice to plan a vertically oriented, larger campus intended to expand local health services.