The Waxahachie City Council on Monday approved a specific use permit (SUP) and a developers agreement for an inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital will be located on five acres east of the intersection of Indian Drive and Brown Street.
According to city documents the 40,000-square-foot hospital will provide care for patients recovering from stroke, heart attack, brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedic conditions, cancer and pulmonary conditions.
The facility, which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will help transition patients from acute care facilities to home living by providing physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy services.
Jennifer Pruitt, the city’s senior director of planning, said the facility meets or exceeds all setback and parking requirements.
According to the city the hospital will be part of a larger 30-acre site that could eventually include retail, commercial and residential.
The council also approved a development agreement that will allow for the extension of Indian Drive from Brown Street to US Highway 287 Access Road.
Starbucks
At the request of the applicant the council agreed to postpone an SUP request for a new Starbucks restaurant until the Dec. 14 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and the Dec. 20 City Council meeting.
The proposal was for a Starbucks to be located south of Butcher Road and east of US Highway 77.
At a recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting commissioners were concerned with the exterior of the building featuring stucco, so the applicant was asked to revise its building materials.
Employee appreciation
During comments from the council, Councilman Travis Smith said he would like the city to explore different ways of showing appreciation for city workers.
Next week the city is expected to have a drive-through meal distribution event for city staff. Smith said in the last few days he has spoken to four field crews to gauge their thoughts on the meal.
“They have all said that, yes, a free meal would be great they would like and would appreciate being appreciated a little more than that,” Smith said.
Smith said he’s not sure what the answer is but said the Christmas season is the right time to show the city workers how much they’re appreciated.
“They are the individuals who are out there to ensure that we have running water, that our streets are in good repair, and those are the individuals that we ensure that we show we appreciate what they do each and every day,” Smith said.