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Highlands Today

Inpatient Hospice On Sebring Agenda

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: January 20, 2009

SEBRING - The Sebring City Council will hear a proposal tonight by HPC Healthcare Inc., to build a 24,000 square-foot, 16-bed, inpatient facility on 6.3 acres of land located at 1110 Hammock Road.

HPC Healthcare Inc. is the parent company of Good Shepherd Hospice and Life Path Hospice, according to Patty Klein, public information person for HPC.

"This (facility) is going to really benefit the community," said Klein on Monday. "It's going to add 30 full-time jobs outside of the construction jobs."

Klein said at the moment people have to drive 50 miles to Auburndale for a comparable inpatient facility and generally speaking people prefer to remain in familiar surroundings if possible.

"We're confident the presentation will answer the council's questions on the project," said Klein.

The Hospice Care Center, as it may be named if approved, is proposed for construction on the former site of Southern Oaks of Sebring, a multi-family housing project that was not built due to economic factors, and is located next to the Ashley Oaks gated community.

According to its agenda item summary, city staff stated that the Good Shepherd Hospice has a contract to buy the acreage which was annexed into the city on July 19, 2005, from the owners of Southern Oaks.

There is a hitch.

In a previous story City Attorney Robert "Bob" Swaine, in a hand-delivered letter to city Administrator Scott Noethlich, issued his opinion that the city would need to rezone the property and also amend an existing development agreement if the facility was to be permitted.

According to the agenda item, in a Jan. 8 letter Swaine reportedly stated, "The question really appears to be whether or not council wishes to allow this activity on the site."

If yes, zoning options are available and the development agreement can be changed. If the answer is no, then, the current zoning and development agreement precludes construction.

In a previous story, Assistant City Administrator Bob Hoffman stated that HPC asked if the city's zoning ordinance allowed the 20,000-plus square-foot hospice and a separate administration building on a property currently zoned R-3.

In June of 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 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 of the land.

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

Good Shepherd reportedly may want to expand the facility in the future to 28,500 square feet and would house a maximum of 24 patients per day. A separate 7,900-square -foot administration support building is also being proposed on the site.

Councilman John Clark expressed his concerns in December that the hospice is a not-for-profit organization and would not contribute ad valorem taxes to the city.

In the previous report neighbors interviewed by Highlands Today voiced no objections, although one neighbor reported hearing of a petition being circulated in the neighborhood against the hospice.

The facility's application for a certificate of need received 320 letters of support from state and local politicians as well as numerous members of the medical profession, religious, education and business leaders, according to Kathy Fernandez, president and CEO of Good Shepherd Hospice.

The project cost was initially estimated at more than $7.5 million.

Becky McIntyre, with Good Shepherd Hospice, is scheduled to address the council at 6:30 p.m. today at 368 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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