- October 31, 2024
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Discussion on the site plan for a new freestanding emergency room was postponed at the Winter Garden City Commission meeting Thursday, April 25.
At a community meeting in January, HCA Florida Osceola Hospital shared plans to build the ER on the vacant tract to the south of 1200 Daniels Road in the recently developed Daniels Road Business Park.
The $11.5 million project would include a one-story, 11,570-square-foot freestanding emergency room building. The Winter Garden facility would feature 11 emergency exam rooms, CT scan, digital X-ray, ultrasound, on-site laboratory services and would be capable of caring for all ages, including pediatrics.
The existing land use for the 1.56-acre property is vacant land, and the existing zoning is Arterial Commercial District. The ER would require a special-exception permit, which received recent approval from the city’s Planning and Zoning Board.
Planning Director Kelly Carson said the facility would be open 24 hours a day, with walk-in and ambulance accommodations but not overnight care.
Carson said the conditions of approval include that no helicopters are permitted to land on or near the facility, the facility will provide an on-site ambulance service as to not negatively impact Winter Garden’s emergency services, and no sirens will be permitted during the unloading and loading of patients.
Mayor John Rees said he had several questions and concerns, and he would like more time to look at the plans, as well as discuss with local hospitals in the Winter Garden area, such as AdventHealth and Orlando Health – Health Central Hospital.
Commissioner Colin Sharman agreed.
“I would like to get more information from all of those sources,” he said. “We need to make the best decision for the city.”
The commission approved postponing the item to the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, May 9.
JONES SWORN IN
Also at the meeting, the City Commission approved a resolution declaring the results of the municipal runoff election for the District 2 seat held April 16, with Iliana Ramos Jones unseating incumbent Ron Mueller.
Jones was then sworn into office for a four-year term.
With Jones sworn in, there are now three women sitting on the commission at the same time, a city first.