Next phase of Comp Plan (Horizon 2035) update process

The final phase of the Comp Plan (Horizon 2035) update process is underway...moving us forward towards the goal of revising Lee County's growth management plans to bring the vision of a Livable Lee to reality.

Over the past two years, the county staff and its committees have been working through the elements of the Comp Plan Horizon 2035 update, following the vision adopted in the County's 2011 Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR).  This new vision of Lee County in 2035 - an economically and environmentally desirable place to live, work and visit - was crafted through an extensive community planning effort that included over 40 public workshops. The Comp Plan update process is revising Lee County’s growth management plans to bring that vision of a Livable Lee to reality. 

 

In June, the Local Planning Agency (LPA) completed its first round review of all the Comp Plan elements, and the Community Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC) completed its review in May. The Horizon Council also reviewed the plan with staff over the past four months.  Over the past four months, county planning staff also conducted 43 public workshops to discuss the key changes in the Comp Plan that are being proposed.  Finally, the County's online Town Hall tool (New Horizon 2035) provided another opportunity for citizens to comment and provide their input.

Now that all this input has been received, staff is starting the process of revising the elements to address the comments.  Planning staff has now developed a schedule and process for the next and final phase.  The schedule is subject to change, but here's the current plan:  

Each month (see the sequence below), several revised elements will be presented to the LPA for final review.  The staff report prepared for the LPA on each element will show how the comments received have been addressed, with a comparison from the previous draft to this final draft. Prior to the review of those elements by the LPA, the CSAC's EAR working group will have a chance to review the documents, present their comments to the full CSAC, and then a representative from the CSAC will come to the LPA meeting each month and present the Committee's comments on the revised elements.  At each LPA meeting, the public has an opportunity to comment on the revised elements.

Integration of land use and transportation planning is key to complete streets and complete communities, so these two elements will continue to be a major focus of BikeWalkLee's attention. These revised elements are scheduled for review in November.

 For background on BikeWalkLee's views, click below:

·        BWL comments to county Local Planning Agency on land use elements (4/5/13)

·        BikeWalkLee overview comments on 10/26/12 Draft Transportation Element (11/25/12)

·         

The following is the current schedule for review of the revised elements:

September:

LPA Meeting: September 23

Staff report available: September 13

CSAC working group meeting: Sept. 16                 

CSAC full committee consideration: Sept. 18th

Elements to be reviewed:

Vision Statement  

Housing

Historic Preservation

Parks, Recreation, & Open Space

Economic Element

October:

LPA Meeting: October 28

Staff report available: Oct. 18th

CSAC working group meeting: Oct. 21st               

CSAC full committee consideration: Oct. 23rd

Elements to be reviewed:

Community Facilities & Services

Community Safety & Wellbeing  

Intergovernmental Coordination 

Capital Improvements

Conservation & Coastal Management

November:

Dates TBD due to Thanksgiving Holiday

LPA Meeting: TBD

Staff report available: TBD

CSAC working group meeting: TBD

CSAC full committee consideration: TBD

Elements to be reviewed:

Future Land Use

Transportation

Communities

Glossary

Maps

Tables

Plans for BoCC Action

While the schedule for this last step hasn't been finalized yet, after the LPA has made its final recommendations on all the elements (hopefully by December 2013), the plan is to have a multi-day workshop for the BoCC to review the entire revised package.  Subsequent to the workshop, the entire Comp Plan amendment package will come to the Board for consideration.  Once it's approved by the Board, it goes to the State for review and then back to the Board for final adoption.

Report by Darla Letourneau, with input from Kathy Ebaugh (Lee County Planning Staff)