TUBERCULOSIS: Lantana (Florida) proposes rezoning tuberculosis hospital site. The nation's only remaining tuberculosis hospital can continue to operate.

Jason Schultz January 12, 2011
LANTANA — The town council will likely rezone the 140-acre home of the nation's only remaining tuberculosis hospital in the hopes of getting the state finally to redevelop the land into something that will bring jobs to the financially ailing town.
"We're doing as much as we legally can without owning the property or somebody bringing us a request," said Town Manager Mike Bornstein on the town council's vote Monday to rezone the A.G. Holley property from public use to mixed use industrial land. The town changed the land use to industrial last year.
The 100-bed state run hospital, which now houses 36 tuberculosis patients, can continue to operate as a hospital even after the rezoning as a grandfathered non-conforming use, Bornstein said. But if the state ever tries to sell the land, it will have to change to an industrial use.
Bornstein said the rezoning follows the recommendations of a master plan that the state spent $400,000 to create in 2006, which suggested closing the hospital and redeveloping the land.
Assistant County Administrator Shannon LaRocque said the state had explored a plan to close the hospital and open a new infectious disease center in Jupiter. That plan fell apart in 2009 because of a developer's financial problems.
Bornstein said plans to redevelop the land and bring in some sort of employment center with good-paying jobs has languished while the state has tried to figure out what to do with the hospital. He said the town's economic future depends on redeveloping the A.G. Holley land to generate more revenue for the town so it is unfair to let the town languish.
"This is about creating a long-term employment center, not a flash in the pan, not a Super Walmart of a condo complex," Bornstein said.
The hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Raymond Collins, said the 2006 master plan included an option to redevelop the land and still build a smaller 45-bed tuberculosis hospital on the site that would cost less to run. Bornstein said the rest of the land could be used for manufacturing or a medical arts cluster.
"We're trying to get the state to step up to the plate," Bornstein said. "I think this is going to get some legs this year."
Mayor David Stewart has sent letters to incoming Gov. Rick Scott as well as state legislators explaining the rezoning and urging officials to get the state moving on plans to redvelop the land and create incentives to bring in employers.
Members of Scott's transition team have already recommended closing A.G. Holley and selling the property. Collins said there is also a bill that legislators will vote on in the upcoming session to create a plan to close the hospital.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/sfl-lantana-hospital-011111,0,3634459.story