The Palm Beach County Planning Commission recommended approval of county‑initiated comprehensive plan and zoning changes to designate roughly 155 acres of county‑owned natural areas as conservation.

County planning staff presented the request as a follow‑up to land purchases the county made to hold ecologically sensitive properties. "This request will also allow these natural areas to continue in their natural state as intended," Timothy Haines, principal planner in the Resources Protection Division, told the commission during the item. Staff said the proposal applies to Cypress Creek (0.34 acres), Hungryland Slough (42.70 acres), Pine Glades (10.48 acres) and the Palm Beach Heights / Palomar EcoSite (101.13 acres), and that the amendments further the conservation element and related state statutes.

The recommendation, made by county staff, was described as consistent with past county efforts to protect environmentally sensitive, county‑owned lands. Department director Deborah Drum confirmed the request was limited to county holdings and said she was not aware of parallel action by neighboring Martin County.

The commission had no public commenters on the item. A commissioner moved to recommend approval; the commission voted to recommend approval unanimously. Staff said a companion zoning amendment will go to the Board of County Commissioners for final action.

Why it matters: County‑initiated future‑land‑use changes are a formal step to protect sensitive parcels held by the county; moving a parcel to a conservation designation typically restricts development options and signals long‑term preservation or stewarded natural use.

What’s next: The Planning Commission’s recommendation goes to the Board of County Commissioners, which will consider the zoning amendment and adoption of the comprehensive plan change on a later date, according to staff.