Glades County BOCC considers zoning change for medical waste processing plant

Posted 7/28/21

A Miami-based medical waste disposal company is seeking to build a 5,000 square-foot waste transport and treatment plant

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Glades County BOCC considers zoning change for medical waste processing plant

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A Miami-based medical waste disposal company is seeking to build a 5,000 square-foot waste transport and treatment plant at 1653 County Road 720 in Glades County.

Glades County BOCC is supportive of the development, which would require a zoning change for approximately 8.75 acres of county-owned property to allow Advanced Medical Sanitation, Inc. to utilize one acre for the proposed facility.

The company sterilizes medical waste such as contaminated syringes and other medical items via an autoclave system which uses high pressure and high temperature steam to kill pathogens found in the waste which can then be safely transported to approved landfills.

Discussion centered around rezoning of the property during the BOCC’s regular July 26 meeting that would amend future land use and zoning to accommodate future industrial uses on the property as well.

County Development Director Susan BuChans made the request after consulting the county Planning and Zoning Board suggesting changing zoning from agricultural/residential to light industrial to allow for the project.

In her discussions with Planning and Zoning and the company President and CEO David Ramdon, it was determined processing would take place in an enclosed building that would prevent contaminates escaping and that there would be no disposal or storage of waste on the site.

“Once these materials have gone through the autoclave process, then they are packaged and loaded and taken to Okeechobee landfill,” BuChans said. “Our landfill will not be taking this.”

By rezoning the entire 8.75 acres, the county would be a step ahead for future industrial or light industrial businesses.

Another option was to zone for commercial land use and C2 zoning which would allow the County to provide diameters and conditions for that type of use. Under that type of zoning, light industrial would have to be designated as a special exemption.

The single acre the company is looking to build already has buffer requirements, depending on the use of the property abutting a residential area requiring possible landscaping to be done.

The Florida Department of Transportation, a sewer/water treatment plant and the prison surround the property.

“So you can see these kinds of uses are already around what he’s looking at,” BuChans said.

“I don’t object to this at all,” said Commissioner Donna Storter-Long. “But when you start doing things like this it sets a precedence for the next one.”

The board voted 5-0 to request a zoning change from agricultural/residential to light industrial.

BuChans will now begin the application process, advertising and public notices and return to the board to move forward.

Glades County, medical waste, landfill, zoning

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