City approves Alton Medical Center signage changes, public artworks after residents raise buffer concerns

The Palm Beach Gardens City Council on Oct. 9 approved changes to the Alton Medical Center master sign and landscape plan and accepted four Art in Public Places installations for the campus after the applicant amended its request to remove a south-facing sign that had drawn resident objections.

The council’s action, taken by a 4-0 vote, follows weeks of meetings between hospital representatives, city staff and nearby homeowners and includes a commitment by the applicant to install additional landscaping along the I‑95 (west) buffer and the southern boundary and to provide specified timelines for planting and maintenance.

Ken Chuma, project representative from Urban Design Studio, told the council, “there is no sign on that South side any longer,” and described the revised request as keeping three previously approved building identification signs in place, reducing the size of one wall sign, adding one hospital wall sign on the north façade, and adding one directional sign intended to improve wayfinding. Nick Lobdell, planning and zoning staff, summarized the changes and noted the application also included a temporary grand‑opening banner proposed to be placed on the western façade.

Residents who spoke during public comment pressed the council for stronger screening and maintenance guarantees. Lisa Deckelman, a resident of Alton who said her home faces the lake nearest the south boundary wall, told the council the “landscaping that's been installed does not provide much coverage at all” and asked the city to “revisit the landscape plan on that south wall” and consider larger, longer‑lived canopy trees. Liam Quinn, another nearby resident, asked the council to require “dense canopy trees” in place of sable palms, which residents said are failing and provide limited screening in the near term. Naish Patel described nighttime views from his home and invited staff to view the site from his property: “I welcome you guys to come and take a look at it,” he told the council.

City staff said the approved development already included an enhanced southern buffer: the record shows a combination of a 50‑foot landscaped buffer, a six‑foot berm and a six‑foot wall (for a total 75‑foot separation between the hospital and adjacent residential lots when combined with the residential buffer). Staff and the applicant described additional buffer plantings proposed along I‑95 and on the southern boundary, with a 60‑day commitment to begin installing the agreed plantings if council approval was granted.

The council’s approval was made as amended by the applicant and presented by staff; city staff indicated the applicant committed to install the additional plantings and address dead or failing material in the buffers. The council also approved the applicant’s waivers to allow larger letters and copy area on hospital identification signs and a waiver for the temporary grand‑opening sign, as described in the staff report.

In a related action, the council approved an Art in Public Places (AIPP) submittal for the Alton Medical Center. Valentina Bruglia of Urban Design Studio presented four sculptures: two “Tree of Life” pieces and two fountain‑based “bluebell wildflower” units. Sculptor Dan Shaughnessy IV described the primary piece as an 18‑foot stainless‑steel Tree of Life with integrated lighting and motion sensors that will interact with the other works across the campus. The project team said the AIPP allocation meets the one‑percent requirement tied to the project’s vertical construction cost. The Arts and Public Places advisory board had unanimously recommended approval at its previous meeting.

Staff recommended approval of both the signage/landscape amendments (as amended) and the AIPP installations. Council members praised the compromise and the addition of buffer plantings while noting the need for timely installation and maintenance oversight. The formal vote on the signage and landscape amendments and the AIPP items was 4‑0 in favor.

Next steps: per the council direction and the applicant’s commitments, staff will document the amended approvals, record the landscaping and maintenance conditions in the development order, and monitor the 60‑day schedule for plantings and repairs. Staff and the applicant indicated the applicant will proceed with the revised sign plan and the AIPP installations following the council’s approval.