Planning Board denies Mercy expansion application

The Planning and Zoning board met last night at City Hall to discuss various issues, including the proposed Mercy Hospital project. In the end, the board voted down the current plans. This is how it went down.

First off, this is not the previous project, called 300 Bay Residences, the over-the-top monstrosity planned by The Related Group. That was thrown out by the courts long ago. This new project is an actual expansion of the hospital and parking garages at the Mercy Hospital location.

These are the first images of the proposed expansion -- it looks quite retro -- very 1960s in our opinion. The plans call for an addition of 647,160 square feet of floor space to the existing hospital building of 673,176 square feet, while demolishing 151,827 square feet for a total of 1,168,509 square feet. Also part of the plans is to enlarge an existing parking garage of 292,060 square feet to 403,435 square feet, providing an additional 275 parking spaces. Also, a new parking garage of 318,500 square feet is part of the project, which would provide an additional 920 parking spaces in five levels and they also want to build a new three-story building of approximately 11,250 square feet for an energy plant to serve the new hospital towers.


Tennessee-based HCA announced plans in June to purchase Mercy Hospital. HCA already owns several hospitals in South Florida, including Kendall Regional and Aventura. The 473-bed Mercy had a 43 percent occupancy rate and a loss of $3.4 million on operating revenues of $205 million in 2009.

The City's Planning Department recommends some modifications, mostly cosmetic, they would would like a continuation of the proposed baywalk having it go around the entire waterfront. Additional landscaping is also asked for and walkways connecting each garage and keeping some views of the bay open. Also, they would like FPL lines buried as part of the project. Neighbors are asking for a wide baywalk, 20 feet wide or more. The view and the access to the water is a concern. The Dan Paul amendment asks for a 40 foot setback.


The main concern of the neighbors in the North Grove is additional traffic, but according to attorney Lucia Dougherty, who spoke on behalf of the project, this is not to be a concern.

In light of the outcry over the last proposed project (the massive 300 Bay Residences), she wanted to make clear there are no residential units in the plan. She said there are no variances being asked for. She also said, there will be no increase in hospital beds in the new plans. There are no increases in medical offices. All that will remain the same.

This is a "masterplan for the future," she said. Phase one would be started in three years and the phase after that would start in the next 10 years. They are willing to work with the City and the conditions it imposes on the project.

The 1950s medical campus will be upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility. All hospital rooms will become single occupancy. Nurses stations will be improved and added. Surgical rooms will be the most modern and a new CCU will be built. An energy plant will be built for the new facility.

Ms. Dougherty says she spoke with all neighborhood associations in the area, including condos, but we live right next door and no one has addressed us or our condo board. Chris Fulton, resident at Pelican Reef condo in the neighborhood next door, confirmed this, He said that there was no meeting with any associations in the neighborhood. Others present confirmed this, too. Apparently most neighbors are not aware of this project and were not contacted about it by the hospital and their representation.

Don Kogan, from S. Bayshore Court, next door, also said there was no meeting involving the hospital with the neighbors. He said that the concern in the area is the congestion. Traffic on S. Bayshore is a nightmare now, mostly during rush hour times, but actually most of the day.

After Ms. Dougherty spoke, others spoke about the beauty of the new proposed building, trying to throw light off the main issue -- the traffic increase. They spoke of lighting and glass and how the water would shimmer on the glass surface of the building. But the main question is the traffic. Will there be more? As of now they say no. The traffic study mentions nothing about the churches and schools in the area. If the garage is expanded like planned, that would be a minimum of 800 additional cars coming in.

They say they are adding the additional spaces because that is required to go along with the expanded square footage of the hospital, but they don't expect the 800 additional cars. So what, is there "only" going to be an additional 400 cars a day?

Tucker Gibbs, representing two neighborhood associations said they were meeting with reps from the hospital and would reserve comment.

Anthony Asbury, from the Natoma neighborhood area asked all to consider the traffic alone. He said that double the amount of parking will bring double the amount of traffic.

Attorney Lynn Lewis, representing the Vizcayans, Inc., says that the expansion at Mercy would affect Vizcaya. They are concerned that there should not be very tall buildings on the Mercy land. The Vizcayans are in discussion with Mercy about the height issue.

Grace Solares, neighborhood activist asked the most important question: Who is building this project?

HCA has a letter of intent to purchase the property according to Lucia Doherty, which includes the seven acres that were to be the 300 Bay Residences project. Grace surmised that HCA would pay for the project.

It seems that most, if not all of the neighborhood associations are holding comments until this goes before the City Commission. Why?

Nathan Kurland, activist, felt that all these holdouts could amount to private deals being done by individual neighborhoods and condo associations, as was done in the past with the 300 Bay Residences project. It's amazing how the neighborhoods will sell each other out for their own gain, which in the end ends up being a loss for everyone.

Seven of 12 speakers last night withheld comment on the issue. Why? One Planning Board member, Maria Beatriz Gutierrez, said this was a disservice to the board. The Chair, Janice Tarbert, felt it was a big disappointment that the neighborhood associations stood up and withheld comment.

Jason Block from the Glencoe Neighborhood Assocation, spoke last, they reopened the floor for him to speak. He made it clear that his association did not make a deal with Mercy for the last project (the 300 Bay Residences project). He said that when he did go to meet with Mercy about this new project, he was denied plans, permits and other items requested. He said there was no feedback from him, and possibly others, because everyone is still in the dark about the project, due to Mercy's keeping them in the dark.

In the end, the Planning Board's motion was to deny the application. More traffic was the concern of most and they felt that extra parking lots and spaces was not the answer, but actually going to add to the problem. The motion to deny was 6 to 2.

Tonight Ms. Dougherty, et al, will discuss the project with the Village Council at the Sailing Club (2990 S. Bayshore Drive) at 7 pm. Everyone is encouraged to come out, see the plans up close and ask questions.