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Highlands Today

Hospice Seeks Hammock Road Site

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: December 19, 2008

SEBRING - The city council will consider on Jan. 6 whether an in-patient hospice facility is allowable under its R-3 zoning or if rezoning a 6.3-acre property at 1110 Hammock Road would be necessary.

The facility is proposed on the former site of a Southern Oaks of Sebring multi-family housing project, next to the Ashley Oaks gated community.

A letter from attorney Fowler White Boggs states that its client HPC Healthcare Inc., which is building the proposed hospice, has a contract to purchase the property.

In a memo, Assistant City Administrator Bob Hoffman states that HPC has asked if the city's zoning ordinance allows the 20,000-22,000- square-foot hospice and a separate 6,000-square-foot administration building on a property currently zoned R-3.

On June 1, 2004, the council amended its ordinance for R-3, and excluded a number of uses, including boarding houses, hospitals, clinics, guest houses and accessory buildings.

The property was annexed into the city on July 19, 2005 with the full expectation that an upscale community of 40 to 50 patio homes or condominiums would be built there. The memo listed Dan Dorrell and Charlie Cullens as owners.

The Southern Oaks project did not happen and the property has stood vacant.

In September 2008, HPC's attorney Fowler White Boggs, of Tampa, sent a letter to Zoning Supervisor Gary Lower requesting his interpretation of the city's zoning ordinance.

Lower responded that the use of the hospice and the ancillary building would comply.

"However, being that there are questions about the development agreement and due to the ambiguous nature by the city's zoning code and the fact that my interpretations have been over-ruled in the past, I prefer a legal opinion on this request," Lower wrote in a memo to City Administrator Scott Noethlich.

City Attorney Robert "Bob" Swaine, in a hand-delivered letter to Noethlich, issued his opinion.

"I have reviewed the development agreement for the property and assuming the city zoning classification of R-3 is correct, it is my opinion that a property owner seeking to develop the site into a 20,000 to 22,000 square-foot hospice inpatient facility with a separate 6,000 square-foot administration building would need to rezone the property and also amend the development agreement," Swaine wrote.

Councilman John Clark said he had been approached by representatives of the hospice and one of the landowners about the project and had his concerns, one of which is that the hospice is a not-for-profit organization and would not contribute ad valorem taxes to the city.

He also felt the property should be rezoned and the neighbors had a right to be approached by letter for their opinion.

"I feel that's a legitimate part of the process," Clark said.

A Highlands Today reporter polled about seven neighboring residents but none had any objection against the proposed hospice. One neighbor did mention hearing about a petition being circulated against the hospice, but no one else interviewed had seen it or heard about it.

"We've had experience with hospice," said Susanna Knoble, who lives on Ashley Oaks Circle and whose backyard abutts with against the vacant land. "The county definitely needs an inpatient hospice."

"I've seen the facility in Lee County and I think they'd make wonderful neighbors," said David Rinald, Knoble's domestic partner.

Knoble said she worked as a secretary and later as an administrative assistant in a hospice in New Haven, Conn., in conjunction with the public relations person, getting donations.

"I always wanted to work as a volunteer for hospice," she said.

Knoble and Rinald learned about the hospice proposal when they placed a sign on the property, which has since come down.

"It's a waiting room for heaven," said Rinald. "I may have to use it myself one day. Plus, they may put some of our out-of-work construction people to work."

As far as traffic, they agreed it might consist of a few ambulances, hearses, doctors, nurses, aides, administration and visitors.

Their neighbor, Joyce Crooks, said she has lived in Sebring for 37 years. She moved to Ashley Oaks from Golf Hammock and loves her home. Her section of a multiplex also borders the vacant lot.

"I am just delighted," she said. "My husband utilized hospice. I always knew they were good. When I heard this was a possibility I was very thrilled that this property could be used in that manner.

"If people are concerned about traffic issues, there will be none compared to what a development might bring. I would say too bad about the taxes. I do not believe that should ever be an issue."

Crooks said people need to consider if they or a loved one will ever need this facility.

"Maybe it should be in our back yard," she said. "Just consider how the property as it was before the purchase, in need of renovation. There was an old house, with metal buildings and a barn. We assume it will be kept with park-like landscaping."

She also had thoughts about volunteering there.

"How hard is that to walk next door?" she asked. "I plan to support this effort and campaign for its passage."

Jesus and Sharon Perez live across Hammock Road on Queenswood Drive in a single-family neighborhood.

While Sharon Perez had no objection, Jesus was surprised.

"That's news to me," said Jesus Perez, about the hospice. "I didn't know that. My concern is if it was rezoned, what would that do to my property values?

"I guess there's really no traffic and nobody's going to cause any harm who moves there," he said. "So I don't have a problem."

Bill Fields is a 20-year resident.

"Doesn't bother me at all," said Fields. "People have to have somewhere to go. I have no problem with it. There's so much traffic there now it's not going to make a difference.

"I'd rather have the hospice. The property will look a lot better besides."

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