Gray expectations: Here’s why Hilton Head’s shiny new urgent care won’t be so shiny
Four months after Beaufort Memorial Hospital announced plans to build a new “hybrid” emergency department and urgent care facility on Hilton Head Island, the project has made significant headway through the town’s development review process.
But what exactly is that process? How long does it take? Does every new building need to be as gray as seemingly every other construction on the island?
The answer depends on what’s being built, explained Trey Lowe, Development Services Program Manager for the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Both new constructions and renovations on the island needs to be vetted to ensure it complies with town standards for land use and “Island Character” — the town’s name for Hilton Head’s unique aesthetic charm.
How in-depth the review process takes can depend on the size, location, and purpose of the structure. The town’s Community Development Department doesn’t review single-family homes, for example, but they will review multi-family homes and commercial developments.
Here are all the checkpoints on the road to shovel-ready:
- Pre-application meeting: The developers, builders, and/or architects meet with town staff to discuss the project, address questions, and lay out expectations for the process.
- Plan development and application: The development team drafts plans for the project and submit to the town for review.
- Development Plan Review: Projects are vetted to ensure they comply with town standards. Nearly all constructions need this type of review, except for single family homes.
- Design Review: Projects in certain areas need to fit the aesthetic of the island. Developments along major or minor roads, along the water and marsh front, resort areas, and around Sea Pines Circle and Coligny Circle undergo a design review to ensure they won’t disrupt the “Island Character.” This can be done concurrently with the development plan review.
- Building Permit: The final step before shovels hit the ground is getting a building permit from the town, which can take about three weeks to get approved.
- State permits: Most construction projects on the island will need at least one permit from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, which could take longer to process than the town permits. Depending on the project, various state and/or federal permits will be needed as well.
- Other town permits: Some projects might need miscellaneous permits from the town — for example, removing a tree on the island can require a Natural Resource Permit.
- Shovel-ready: With all permits in place, the project is all cleared for construction.
Eight months have passed since a pre-application meeting request was submitted for the project. Broad River Healthcare, an entity related to the hospital, closed on the property in October, according to town records.
How close is Hilton Head’s new urgent care to shovel-ready?
The new facility has made in through the town’s design review process, but not without a change of face.
The sleek and modern features initially proposed for the project have been swapped for the muted grays and greens deemed to more closely fit the “Island Character.” The design was approved “with conditions,” meaning a few other adjustments are still needed.
A separate development plan review for the project is nearing conclusion, according to Lowe.
As far as state approvals go, the project received a construction permit from the SCDES on March 11, according to the department’s online portal. However, the project still needs to be obtain a healthcare facility license from the SC Department of Health, as well as undergo a Fire & Life Safety review, according to a statement provided by Beaufort Memorial spokesperson Emma June Grosskopf.
The facility is also subject to accreditation from The Joint Commission, a national healthcare accrediting organization, Grosskopf noted.
The new facility will be located at 1016 William Hilton Parkway, and is scheduled to open in winter 2026.
Is this a new hospital for Hilton Head Island?
The new hybrid facility will not be a standalone hospital. While the facility will provide urgent care services on-site, and will be staffed with “emergency-trained” physicians and nurses, it can’t admit patients overnight like a traditional hospital emergency department.
Traditional hospitals require a Certificate of Need from the state to demonstrate a public need for new services, but freestanding emergency departments such as this one do not, according to Grosskopf.
If a patient arrives at the facility, and hospital staff determine they need to be admitted overnight, the patient will be transferred to a hospital, according to Lowe.
Beaufort Memorial also has plans to build a 28-bed hospital in Bluffton, which has received an OK from the state to move forward, but will still need local approval from the town of Bluffton, The Island Packet previously reported.
