Florida’s Growth Management Act was changed in 2011 to make a pilot program for large-area land use plans into a permanent tool for long-term planning. This change was made after the pilot program had success in several communities, and it was praised by many different groups. Lawmakers wanted to encourage innovative planning and protect important natural resources. They also wanted to make it easier to plan for large areas of land. The requirements for a sector plan were changed to make it apply to larger areas of land and for a longer period of time. Overall, the new law is meant to help plan for the future of large land areas in Florida. Now, local governments can start making plans for different areas without needing approval from the state planning agency. They also don’t have to follow a specific list of issues when they start planning. Instead, they can decide on the issues themselves. The plans will still have a general vision for the whole area and more detailed plans for specific developments. These changes were made based on what was learned from the pilot program. The first layer of the planning process is the long-term master plan, which sets out the overall plan for land use in a designated area. It doesn’t need to prove a specific need for the changes, but it does need to estimate the future population in the area and may include a schedule for growth. Landowners have the right to exclude their property from the plan. The plan will be reviewed by the state land planning agency to ensure it complies with the law and doesn’t harm important state resources.
The second layer is the detailed specific area plan (DSAP), which is a more detailed plan for a specific area within the master plan. It needs to be consistent with the master plan and may cover a larger area than the local government’s typical plan. It doesn’t need to show a specific need for the changes, and it is not subject to state compliance review. The requirement for a functional relationship between land uses has been eliminated to allow for specialized land uses for economic development. The new law requires that when making a plan for a certain area, local government must consider protecting natural resources and preserving land. They must work with state agencies to come up with a plan that includes transportation and water supply. This new plan is called a master plan. If a specific area within the master plan is going to be permanently preserved, it must be protected by a legal agreement called a conservation easement. This new law also creates a way for developers to make a deal with the local government about how their land will be developed. Overall, this new law allows for more long-term planning and protection for the environment and natural resources. The law changed in 2011 to make it easier for certain areas in Florida to make long-term plans for development. Some big areas in Orange County, Bay County, and the City of Bartow already had plans in place, and Escambia County added a new plan too. The law also moved some land planning responsibilities to a new department called the Department of Economic Opportunity. In June 2011, new laws were passed in Florida that affect property owners and local governments. One important change is that after a master plan is adopted for an area, a property owner can only remove their property from the plan by getting approval from the local government. This means that all property owners in an area will need to agree on the plan early in the process. The new laws also include rules for expedited review of development proposals and give local governments some flexibility in approving smaller development plans. The law in Florida was changed in 2011 to give water management districts the authority to issue permits for using water for longer periods of time, as long as they meet certain requirements. It also protects detailed specific area plans from being changed unless there are important reasons for doing so. Landowners can protect their land from arbitrary down-planning or down-zoning by getting approval for a master incremental DRI. This means their long-term plans for the land will be reviewed in a detailed way.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/green-light-for-sector-plans/
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