Monroe County is currently undertaking a major update of our Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan Update will involve a delicate and complex planning process. This project will incorporate the most recent data and analyses within the 2010-2030 planning timeframe; the last update occurred in 1995.
Project Objectives
- Update the technical document to the 2010-2030 timeframe to include relevant demographic, land use, infrastructure, housing, transportation, economic and natural resource data and analyses;
- Evaluate the existing comprehensive plan goals, objectives and policies to determine their effectiveness in balancing growth, preserving natural resources; achieving water quality improvements; meeting hurricane evacuation requirements, and complying with state regulations and regional plans;
- Update the Comprehensive Plan goals objectives and policies to reflect the outcomes of the EAR; and
- Revise the Land Development Code of Monroe County to comply with the updated Comprehensive Plan Goals, Objectives and Policies.
Key Considerations
Area of Critical State Concern: Monroe County is located in an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC), encompassing the Florida Keys and portions of mainland Florida, specifically Everglades National Park and is home to approximately 70,000 residents. This designation provides for state guidance relating to growth management issues within the County.
County Planning Studies and Programs: To satisfy the requirements of the Work Plan and implement the goals, objectives and policies of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan, the County has adopted a Rate of Growth Ordinance system and other regulatory provisions; Livable CommuniKeys Plans; a Working Waterfronts Preservation Plan; a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and, as part of the HCP, an Incidental Take Permit for Big Pine and No-Name Key; developed the “Tier System” to replace the Habitat Evaluation Index previously used to determine a site’s level of environmental sensitivity; adopted stormwater and waste water plans, and a 10-year Water Supply Plan; and Hurricane Evacuation Study and the Phased Evacuation Plan.
External Regulatory Compliance: Due to the environmental sensitivity of the majority of the land in Monroe County, its designation as a National Marine Sanctuary and the ACSC designation, this project includes extensive cooperative efforts with a wide variety of jurisdictional bodies, external agencies (such as Florida Department of Transportation(FDOT), U.S Army Corps of Engineers(USACE), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), U.S. Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Community Affairs(DCA).
Hurricane Evacuation: In Monroe County, evacuation clearance times are used as both an emergency management tool (moving people out of harm’s way); and for regulatory purposes (to control the rate of growth). [1] The South Florida Regional Planning Council is developing a Regional Hurricane Evacuation Model. This modeling effort will provide important information necessary to ensure public safety and inform hurricane evacuation planning and land use policy.
[1] Ewing, Reid, “Hurricane Evacuation Modeling Report”, 2008.
Project Phases
The update of the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan is a four phased project beginning with revising the existing Technical Document; it was originally was developed in 1991.
Phase One
Phase One will include the updating of the Technical Document, which is a compilation of the existing conditions in Monroe County in accordance with the State of Florida’s requirements. During this phase, the Project Team will perform the following tasks in order to update this document:
Gather data and analysis, including population projections, level of service review, facility capacity needs and land use
The Project Team will then prepare a report outlining the changes from the existing document dating back to 1991. This report will also integrate additional studies performed since the last publication of the Technical Document.
Upon completion of the Technical Document Update, the public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the various components of the report at public meetings and workshops. Please visit our Upcoming Meetings for more information on how you can become involved!
Phase Two
The Evaluation and Appraisal Report(EAR) process involves extensive public input to identify critical local issues that the plan update will need to address. The State of Florida requires that each comprehensive plan be periodically evaluated to assess the success of the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan. The EAR also gauges the compatibility with the state and regional policies, plans and regulatory requirements.
Some of the critical local issues for Monroe County will include issues such as the transportation impacts to its main road, U.S.1; strategies to balance growth and preservation of natural resources; water quality improvements; and hurricane evacuation requirements. The EAR will also identify necessary amendments to assure the plan reflects changing conditions based on up-to-date information.
The process will heavily solicit input from the public during the EAR process. Please provide your contact information and the Project Team will update you on the when and where of these important meetings as they are scheduled.
Phase Three
Once the EAR is completed in Phase Two and is adopted by the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), the Project Team will craft the comprehensive plan amendments based upon the results of the EAR and commission direction.
The Comprehensive Plan Update will contain elements required by Florida Statutes such as :
Future land use;
Housing;
Infrastructure;
Conservation;
Intergovernmental coordination;
Transportation; and
Recreation/Open space to name a few.
This process is regulated by state statutes and will require extensive participation by the public to insure a thorough plan.
Phase Four
Monroe County’s current land regulations were drafted in 1985 and have been amended numerous times during the last 25 years. This last phase of the planning process is the development of land development regulations that will implement the goals policies and objectives of the comprehensive plan.
The goal of this phase is to realign the LDR sections to make them more user friendly to the public and stakeholders and to incorporate modern planning strategies as well. This phase will also rely heavily on public participation. Your opinions and comments are welcome!
