The Zoning Commission of Palm Beach County voted unanimously Sept. 11 to recommend initiation of a two‑phase amendment to the county's Unified Land Development Code to create a defined category for freestanding emergency departments and move the draft to the Board of County Commissioners for further review.

The measure would add a freestanding emergency department definition under medical/dental office uses, set location criteria such as frontage on major thoroughfares and emergency access, and create a dedicated parking ratio (proposed 1 space per 300 square feet) for the use. Staff described the vote as a recommendation of initiation for phase 2, not final adoption.

Why it matters: freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) have appeared in Palm Beach County without a consistent code definition and have been classified variously as medical offices or hospitals. The proposed amendment aims to clarify how FSEDs are regulated, where they may locate, and what site standards apply.

Applicant and staff said the change is intended to align with state law and health‑care licensing. Brian Terry, project consultant with Insight Studio, told the commission the intent is to “orient it underneath the medical office definitions” and to move definitions and parking language into the location in Article 4 of the ULDC. Jerome Auty, zoning division, said staff based the definition on Florida statutes and recommended initiation of phase 2.

During public discussion commissioners asked whether statutes require a distance between an FSED and its parent hospital. Brian Seymour, attorney for the applicant, said: “It is a full emergency department. It has to be by statute. There are not specific distance requirements in the code.” Seymour added that emergency responders determine routing and that most FSED patients arrive by private vehicle rather than ambulance.

The commission’s recommendation advances a phase 1 initiation; phase 2 will include more detailed research, public hearings and final adoption steps. Staff said phase 2 will refine criteria such as hours of operation, emergency vehicle access standards and screening for vehicle areas.

Action: motion to approve the ULDC initiation language passed with all commissioners voting aye. The recommendation now goes to the Board of County Commissioners for the next stage.