Council asks planning commission to study creating a hospital zoning district near Gunnison hospital

The City Council asked staff to forward a planning commission study of a proposed hospital zoning district that would identify the types of medical and hospital-affiliated uses to be concentrated near the existing hospital campus.

Staff member (S3) told the council the proposed hospital zone would cover the area roughly bounded by 1st North, Center Street, Wayne Street and 1st East, and that creating the zone would allow the city to permit certain medical uses in that area while restricting them elsewhere if council chose to do so. "If you create a zone and say this zone is where these things are allowed, then you can also say that those things are not allowed in other zones of the city," the staff member said.

Councilmembers asked whether the zone should allow a broad range of medical uses or be tied specifically to hospital-affiliated services such as clinics, home health or surgical offices. Staff recommended talking with hospital representatives to align the zone boundary and permitted uses with the hospital's long-range vision; the staff member suggested inviting a hospital representative (Brandon) to present that vision at a future meeting.

Council discussion noted the hospital already owns many parcels in the area around the campus and questioned whether the city should expand the proposed hospital zone to protect future hospital-related uses. "They own basically all that whole block right there," a councilmember said of hospital-owned parcels near the campus.

Next steps: staff will coordinate with the planning commission and the hospital to develop a study scope, map potential zone boundaries and return with recommended language for planning-commission review. No ordinance or map change was adopted during the recorded segments.

Ending: The council moved the initiative to the planning commission for study and asked staff to invite hospital representatives to brief the commission and council.