Planning Academy 101 | Why Do We Need Comprehensive Planning?

Why do we need “Comprehensive” Planning

Understanding Florida history

Brief History of Florida

• Native Americans 14,000 years ago

• Ponce de Leon – 1513 – 1st written history

• Ruled by Spain from 16th – 19th Century

• FL became territory of the US in 1821

• Admitted to the Union in 1845 as the 27th state

• Seceded from the Union in 1860 with 10 other Southern states

• Readmitted in 1868 after ratifying the 13th and 14th amendments

• Development of railroad led to population doubling in the 1880s and 1890s

Florida “discovered”

• Great land boom 1920s – became a vacation destination

• Calvin Coolidge/Herbert Hoover

• Henry Ford/Thomas Edison

• Great depression 1930s – land boom busted

• WPA projects – FDR

• Military installations in preparation for WWII

• WWII 1940s – shipbuilding was 2/3rds of industrial growth in Pensacola, Panama City, Jacksonville and Tampa

• Population increased 46%

Another Land Boom - 1950s

& 1960s

• Affordable/efficient air conditioning

• Encouraging retirees from the north

• Communities developed like Levittown

• Beverly Hills Citrus Springs

• Coquina Key Deltona

• Key Biscayne Marco Island

• Marco Shores North Port

• Pine Ridge Port Charlotte

• Port St. Lucie Seminole Woods

• Spring Hill St. Augustine Shores

• Sunny Hills Tampa Palms

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What is a “comp” plan?

A foundational document for long-term planning

Comprehensive Plan

• Holistic look at how local government regulates the built environment

• Ensures that development is approached in an integrated and coordinated manner

• Platform to communicate the community’s goals to newcomers, developers, builders, businesses and others

• Result is set of policies that guide decisions and actions taken on regular basis

1970s Growth Management

• 1970s - 1,000 new residents per day

• 1972 – 1st serious steps to manage growth under Gov. Bob Graham

• Created Areas of Critical State Concern and Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) programs

• Florida State Comprehensive Planning Act – created state comprehensive plan - F.S. 187.201

• 1975 - Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act

• Required local governments to adopt comprehensive plans

• Required development to follow plans

1985 Growth Management Act

• 1985 – Every county/city had to adopt a comprehensive plan

• Consistent with regional and state plan

• Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) had to approve local plans and amendments

• Plan amendments only twice a year

• Required future land use (FLU) maps and elements

• Citizens could file challenges

2008 – Great Recession

• Legislators and Governors began chipping away at growth management laws

2011 Community Planning Act

• Under Gov. Rick Scott, weakened/eliminated many provisions of 1985 Growth Management Act

• Eliminated DCA – became Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO)

• Significantly reduced state planning staff

• Plan amendments reviewed using expedited process

• Transportation, schools, park and rec concurrency voluntary

Legislative changes since 2011 2015, 2016, 2018 – DRI review requirement removed

2015 – reduced Regional Planning Council responsibilities, eliminated DRI review 2018 – FQD program repealed

2019 – citizens challenging development pay legal fees of winners

2021 - Private Property Rights element required, small scale amendment was 10 acres, changed to 50 acres, rural Area of Opportunity increased from 20 acres to 100 acres for small scale amendments

2023 - citizens challenging development pay legal fees of winners + developer’s attorney fees, jurisdiction can’t require land use change or comp plan amendment for certain affordable housing projects (Live Local Act), DEO is now FloridaCommerce, two planning periods – 10 and 20 years

2024 – Live Local Act revisions – industrial stays in, added 150% FAR, SF height protections, TOD parking reductions - attempt to increase small scale to 150 acres

Land Development Regulations (Code) Development Orders

Rezoning Variances

Conditional Uses

Special Exception

Plats

Special Area Plans

Planned Developments

Elements (chapters) of the Comprehensive Plan

F.S. 163.3177

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

• Future Land Use

• Transportation

• Infrastructure

• Conservation

• Recreation and open space

• Housing

• Capital improvements

• Intergovernmental coordination

• Property rights

• Coastal management (if needed)

OPTIONAL ELEMENTS

• Schools - (LOS repealed in 2011)

• Economic Development

• Historic Preservation

Future Land Use Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(a)

• Future Land Use designation

• Permanent and seasonal population

• Future Land Use Map

• Accommodate anticipated growth

• Availability of water, public facilities and services

• Redevelopment

• Discourage urban sprawl

• Protection of natural and historic resources

• Compatibility with adjacent land uses

• Where public schools are allowed

Transportation Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(b)

• LOS repealed in 2011

• Plan for multimodal transportation system

• Public transportation system

• Mobility issues

• Traffic circulation

• Transportation corridors

• Recreational traffic

• Bicycle facilities

• Exercise trails

• Airports, rail, mass transit

• Growth trends and travel patterns

• Alternative modes of travel

• Pedestrian

• Bicycle

• Multimodal

Infrastructure Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(c) (Sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water & groundwater aquifer recharge)

• LOS required - F.S. 163.3180(1)

• Capacity of systems

• Needs of facilities and correcting deficiencies

• Conserving potable water resources

• Protecting functions of groundwater recharge and natural drainage

• Identify needs in regional water supply plan

• 10-year water supply work plan

Conservation Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(d)

• Protect natural resources

• Rivers, lakes, wetlands, springs

• Floodplains

• Minerals

• Fish, wildlife, forests

• Protect air quality

• Protect water sources

• Designates environmentally sensitive lands

Recreation and Open Space Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(e)

• LOS repealed in 2011

• Public and private recreation

• Parks & playgrounds

• Beaches

• Waterways

Housing Element F.S. 163.3177(6)(f)

• Housing for all current and future residents

• Eliminate substandard dwelling conditions

• Improvement of existing housing

• Affordable workforce housing

• Identification of historically significant housing

Coastal Management Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(g)

• Needed if abutting Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean or contiguous to waters of the state

• Maintain, restore and enhance quality of coastal zone environment

• Preserve wildlife and marine life

• Avoid loss of coastal zone resources

• Protect human life against effects of natural disasters

• Preserve historic and archaeological resources

Intergovernmental Coordination Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(h)

• Coordination with school boards, regional water supply authorities, other units of local government

• Joint Planning Areas

• Dispute resolution process

• Interlocal agreements

Capital Improvements Element

F.S. 163.3177(3)

• 5-year schedule of capital improvements to estimate costs of:

• Construction, extension or increase in capacity of public facilities

• Correcting public facility deficiencies

• Schedule must show:

• When facilities will be needed

• If funded or unfunded

• Level of priority for funding

• Transportation improvements in the MPOs TIP

• Schedule reviewed by local government annually

Private Property Rights Element

F.S. 163.3177(6)(i)

1. The right of a property owner to physically possess and control his or her interests in the property, including easements, leases, or mineral rights.

2. The right of a property owner to use, maintain, develop, and improve his or her property for personal use or for the use of any other person, subject to state law and local ordinances.

3. The right of the property owner to privacy and to exclude others from the property to protect the owner’s possessions and property.

4. The right of a property owner to dispose of his or her property through sale or gift.

Future of Comprehensive Planning

Is comprehensive planning important in Florida? Why or why not?