By Cindi Andrews
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NORWOOD - City Council began clearing the way for a specialty heart hospital to locate here with an 8-0 vote Tuesday approving its zoning request.

"This is a home run," Councilman Will DeLuca said. "If we can make this happen, this is a grand slam."

Ohio Heart Health Center wants to build Greater Cincinnati's first specialized heart hospital and an accompanying medical office building on vacant land just west of Montgomery Road on the north side of the Norwood Lateral.

The $60 million project would share the 10-acre site with a planned Kroger store.

Council's vote came after council candidate Alliea Phipps raised several concerns about the proposed hospital. Norwood residents would still have to leave the city to be treated for non-heart-related emergencies, she noted. Phipps also questioned how often helicopters would fly over residents' homes and how much of a burden the hospital would be on local ambulance service.

"I'm very concerned about the neighborhood," Phipps said. "There are a lot of questions that weren't even asked. ... Postpone the vote until you have the answers."

Council members, however, were satisfied with the answers provided on the spot by Jim Tomaszewski, executive director of Ohio Heart.

The hospital's on-site helipad would probably see a maximum of five helicopter flights a week to bring in patients with urgent heart problems, he said.

"Most cardiovascular surgery is scheduled," he said.

Fire Chief Curt Goodman said city ambulances would not go to other areas to bring heart patients to the hospital. All development adds to the demand on emergency services, he said, but he didn't expect the hospital to pose an unusually large burden. In fact, he said, the shorter runs to take heart patients to the Ohio Heart facility instead of University Hospital in Corryville would be a benefit.

"I think it's a great idea," Goodman said. "The level of care and service you're going to get will be outstanding."

Tuesday's vote doesn't make Ohio Heart's hospital here a sure thing. Financing and tax breaks still have to be worked out.

E-mail candrews@enquirer.com