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Davis Islands

Tampa General vote delayed until May 17

Though not its intention, the delay will give city officials more time to review transportation issues.

By JANET ZINK
Published April 29, 2005

Tampa General Hospital officials have been waiting since the summer to find out whether the city will approve their request for a major expansion.

They will have to wait a little longer.

The City Council, at a specially scheduled meeting Tuesday, postponed a vote on the issue because only four council members were present.

Council chairwoman Gwen Miller excused herself from the discussion because her husband, Les Miller, does consultant work for the hospital. Council members John Dingfelder and Kevin White had previous obligations.

The council will take up the matter again at 6 p.m. May 17. They will meet at the Tampa Convention Center to better accommodate a large crowd.

More than 100 people filled the council chambers for Tuesday's public hearing on the hospital's request to rezone its property and lease less than half an acre of a waterfront park for its most recent expansion.

Tampa General wants permission to build a 1,400-space parking garage on the parkland and a new office building on the hospital campus. It also wants to add a floor to an expansion under construction.

Davis Islands residents have objected to the request for months. They don't want a parking garage on public parkland. Now, they're also emphasizing the traffic the parking garage would bring.

"There's too much traffic on the island," said resident Kathy McLeroy, a vocal opponent of the TGH project. "Unfortunately for Tampa General, it's on an island served by a bridge that can't be expanded."

Assistant City Attorney Morris Massey said delaying the vote would give city officials more time to review transportation issues.

Two years ago, the city approved a 280,000-square-foot addition for a new emergency room, intensive care beds and labor-and-delivery suites. Work on the $100-million project began in September.

Last year, the hospital announced it also wanted to build a 480,000-square-foot parking garage and a 125,000-square-foot office building, and add 67,000 square feet to the building under construction.

These rezoning requests would increase the hospital, built in 1927, from 1.3-million to about 2.2-million square feet.

TGH president Ron Hytoff has said the hospital needs to expand to keep up with the region's population growth.

Janet Zink can be reached at 226-3401 or jzink@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 08:33:09]