Homestead council approves expansion for The Palace: 240-bed skilled nursing facility cleared with special exception, variance and site plan

The council resumed a quasi-judicial hearing on the Palace project (Helen Holmes / South Dade LLC) seeking approval for a 240-bed skilled-nursing and assisted-living expansion on a roughly 5.6-acre parcel at 3100 Campbell Drive. Planning staff and applicant counsel Javier Vasquez reviewed work completed since a November deferral, including exchanged traffic consultant reviews and updated parking/staffing plans.

Vasquez said city and applicant traffic consultants exchanged comments and that Baumann Engineering concluded the applicant had "sufficiently addressed the remaining review comments," noting constraints on right-of-way that made a full right-turn deceleration lane impractical. Applicant traffic consultant Richard Garcia and city reviewer John Kim described mitigations such as larger driveway radii and other design adjustments instead of a standard right-turn lane. Vasquez explained the project is proposing 150 parking spaces, citing the city's 1990 code for senior living (130 spaces) and Miami-Dade County guidance (145 spaces), and agreed to a valet program for special events.

Councilmembers raised concerns about traffic impacts and resident access to hospitals; applicant counsel responded that most patient transports are by ambulance. After public hearing closure and deliberation, council voted in favor of the special exception (Tab 5), the variance (Tab 4) and the site-plan amendment (Tab 3); roll calls recorded approval on each item. The applicant team confirmed acceptance of the conditions recommended by planning staff.