NEW PORT RICHEY – The Pasco County Planning Commission held public hearings Feb. 20 regarding zoning requests related to a large expansion to HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital in Hudson.
HCA Florida proposes to develop 600,000 square feet of hospital, 200,000 square feet of medical office and 50,000 square feet of retail uses on 62.98 acres on the east and west side of Fivay Road at the southeast corner of the Fivay Road and Hudson Avenue intersection.
The acute-care hospital, located at 1400 Fivay Road, currently has 392 licensed beds and has been providing medical services to its community since 1981.
It is owned by HCA, a publicly traded company, which is the nation’s largest health system with about 180 hospitals including more than 40 in Florida.
HCA’s applications said increased employment would occur in the West Market Area, where the property is located, if a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning request were approved.
The comprehensive plan amendment would change the property that is currently zoned Retail/Office/Residential and Residential-6DU/GA to Planned Development.
The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners has scheduled an adoption hearing for the comprehensive plan amendment request on March 25 in New Port Richey.
If approved, it will be transmitted to the Florida Department of State. It will be effective upon the Department of State’s confirmation of receipt unless that agency requests changes to what has been transmitted to them.
HCA is also requesting the property’s current zoning be changed to a Master Planned Unit Development.
There are 51 conditions of approval that accompany HCA’s rezoning request.
County commissioners will also hold a public hearing on that rezoning request on March 25.
The planning commission recommended county commissioners approve both of HCA’s requests as part of its consent agenda during which no presentation was made. No one spoke in opposition to either request.
Neighbors speak out against mixed-use project
The planning commission recommended county commissioners deny a request for a comprehensive plan amendment made by Nguyen Thien on 7.83 acres on the east side of Little Road, 550 feet north of the intersection of Little Road and Jasmine Boulevard.
They also recommended commissioners deny an accompanying rezoning request that would change the property’s zoning from Estate Residential District to a Master Planned Unit Development.
The applicant wants to develop 23 townhomes and 32,452 square-feet of commercial uses near the Golden Acres subdivision.
These items had been on the consent agenda because members of the county’s Planning, Development and Economic Growth department hadn’t anticipated opposition to Thien’s requests.
However, several neighbors from Golden Acres signed up to oppose Thien’s requests.
His representative, Michael Hoffman of Tampa, said Thien wanted to have two commercial buildings, each 17,226 square feet built on property that had frontage on Little Road.
Parking for the commercial uses would be behind those two buildings, according to Hoffman. The 23 townhomes would be on the rear of the property. They would have a maximum of two stories and would be duplex and triplex villas.
Six people who live on Hilltop Drive and one person who lives on Jasmine Boulevard voiced different concerns, including danger from increased vehicular traffic in the area.
A couple of people said they thought their privacy would be invaded because people living on the second story of the townhomes would be able to see whatever was occurring on their properties.
Some people also noted the potential impact on animals, including horses, goats, rabbits and others, as a concern.
Several of the homes in Golden Acres are valued at between $750,000 and $1.25 million. Several residents said they anticipated the development would have a significant negative impact on their property values.
Planning Commission members agreed that they didn’t think Thien’s request was consistent with Pasco County’s Comprehensive Plan.
County commissioners will consider Thien’s requests at a future meeting.
