Fla. Stat. § 163.3177 — Florida Code / Title XI / Chapter 163 / Part II / Section 163.3177
163.3177 Required and optional elements of comprehensive plan; studies and surveys.
Status: in_force

(1) The comprehensive plan shall provide the principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies for the orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal development of the area that reflects community commitments to implement the plan and its elements. These principles and strategies shall guide future decisions in a consistent manner and shall contain programs and activities to ensure comprehensive plans are implemented. The sections of the comprehensive plan containing the principles and strategies, generally provided as goals, objectives, and policies, shall describe how the local government’s programs, activities, and land development regulations will be initiated, modified, or continued to implement the comprehensive plan in a consistent manner. It is not the intent of this part to require the inclusion of implementing regulations in the comprehensive plan but rather to require identification of those programs, activities, and land development regulations that will be part of the strategy for implementing the comprehensive plan and the principles that describe how the programs, activities, and land development regulations will be carried out. The plan shall establish meaningful and predictable standards for the use and development of land and provide meaningful guidelines for the content of more detailed land development and use regulations. (a) The comprehensive plan shall consist of elements as described in this section, and may include optional elements. (b) A local government may include, as part of its adopted plan, documents adopted by reference but not incorporated verbatim into the plan. The adoption by reference must identify the title and author of the document and indicate clearly what provisions and edition of the document is being adopted. (c) The format of these principles and guidelines is at the discretion of the local government, but typically is expressed in goals, objectives, policies, and strategies. (d) The comprehensive plan shall identify procedures for monitoring, evaluating, and appraising implementation of the plan. (e) When a federal, state, or regional agency has implemented a regulatory program, a local government is not required to duplicate or exceed that regulatory program in its local comprehensive plan. (f) All mandatory and optional elements of the comprehensive plan and plan amendments shall be based upon relevant and appropriate data and an analysis by the local government that may include, but not be limited to, surveys, studies, community goals and vision, and other data available at the time of adoption of the comprehensive plan or plan amendment. To be based on data means to react to it in an appropriate way and to the extent necessary indicated by the data available on that particular subject at the time of adoption of the plan or plan amendment at issue. 1. Surveys, studies, and data utilized in the preparation of the comprehensive plan may not be deemed a part of the comprehensive plan unless adopted as a part of it. Copies of such studies, surveys, data, and supporting documents for proposed plans and plan amendments shall be made available for public inspection, and copies of such plans shall be made available to the public upon payment of reasonable charges for reproduction. Support data or summaries are not subject to the compliance review process, but the comprehensive plan must be clearly based on appropriate data. Support data or summaries may be used to aid in the determination of compliance and consistency. 2. Data must be taken from professionally accepted sources. The application of a methodology utilized in data collection or whether a particular methodology is professionally accepted may be evaluated. However, the evaluation may not include whether one accepted methodology is better than another. Original data collection by local governments is not required. However, local governments may use original data so long as methodologies are professionally accepted. 3. The comprehensive plan shall be based upon permanent and seasonal population estimates and projections, which shall either be those published by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research or generated by the local government based upon a professionally acceptable methodology. The plan must be based on at least the minimum amount of land required to accommodate the medium projections as published by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research for at least a 10-year planning period unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05, including related rules of the Administration Commission. Absent physical limitations on population growth, population projections for each municipality, and the unincorporated area within a county must, at a minimum, be reflective of each area’s proportional share of the total county population and the total county population growth.

(2) Coordination of the several elements of the local comprehensive plan shall be a major objective of the planning process. The several elements of the comprehensive plan shall be consistent. Where data is relevant to several elements, consistent data shall be used, including population estimates and projections unless alternative data can be justified for a plan amendment through new supporting data and analysis. Each map depicting future conditions must reflect the principles, guidelines, and standards within all elements, and each such map must be contained within the comprehensive plan.

(3)(a) The comprehensive plan must contain a capital improvements element designed to consider the need for and the location of public facilities in order to encourage the efficient use of such facilities and set forth all of the following: 1. A component that outlines principles for construction, extension, or increase in capacity of public facilities, as well as a component that outlines principles for correcting existing public facility deficiencies, which are necessary to implement the comprehensive plan. The components must cover at least a 5-year period. 2. Estimated public facility costs, including a delineation of when facilities will be needed, the general location of the facilities, and projected revenue sources to fund the facilities. 3. Standards to ensure the availability of public facilities and the adequacy of those facilities to meet established acceptable levels of service. 4. A schedule of capital improvements which includes any publicly funded projects of federal, state, or local government, and which may include privately funded projects for which the local government has no fiscal responsibility. Projects necessary to ensure that any adopted level-of-service standards are achieved and maintained for the 5-year period must be identified as either funded or unfunded and given a level of priority for funding. The schedule must: a. Include transportation improvements included in the applicable metropolitan planning organization’s transportation improvement program adopted pursuant to s. 339.175(8) to the extent that such improvements are relied upon to ensure concurrency and financial feasibility; b. Where applicable, include a list of projects necessary to achieve the pollutant load reductions attributable to the local government, as established in a basin management action plan pursuant to s. 403.067(7); and c. Be coordinated with the applicable metropolitan planning organization’s long-range transportation plan adopted pursuant to s. 339.175(7). (b) The capital improvements element must be reviewed by the local government on an annual basis. Modifications to update the 5-year capital improvement schedule may be accomplished by ordinance and may not be deemed to be amendments to the local comprehensive plan.

(4)(a) Coordination of the local comprehensive plan with the comprehensive plans of adjacent municipalities, the county, adjacent counties, or the region; with the appropriate water management district’s regional water supply plans approved pursuant to s. 373.709; and with adopted rules pertaining to designated areas of critical state concern shall be a major objective of the local comprehensive planning process. To that end, in the preparation of a comprehensive plan or element thereof, and in the comprehensive plan or element as adopted, the governing body shall include a specific policy statement indicating the relationship of the proposed development of the area to the comprehensive plans of adjacent municipalities, the county, adjacent counties, or the region, as the case may require and as such adopted plans or plans in preparation may exist. (b) When all or a portion of the land in a local government jurisdiction is or becomes part of a designated area of critical state concern, the local government shall clearly identify those portions of the local comprehensive plan that shall be applicable to the critical area and shall indicate the relationship of the proposed development of the area to the rules for the area of critical state concern.

(5)(a) Each local government comprehensive plan must include at least two planning periods, one covering at least the first 10-year period occurring after the plan’s adoption and one covering at least a 20-year period. Additional planning periods for specific components, elements, land use amendments, or projects shall be permissible and accepted as part of the planning process. (b) The comprehensive plan and its elements shall contain guidelines or policies for the implementation of the plan and its elements.

(6) In addition to the requirements of subsections (1)-(5), the comprehensive plan shall include the following elements: (a) A future land use plan element designating proposed future general distribution, location, and extent of the uses of land for residential uses, commercial uses, industry, agriculture, recreation, conservation, education, public facilities, and other categories of the public and private uses of land. The approximate acreage and the general range of density or intensity of use shall be provided for the gross land area included in each existing land use category. The element shall establish the long-term end toward which land use programs and activities are ultimately directed. 1. Each future land use category must be defined in terms of uses included, and must include standards to be followed in the control and distribution of population densities and building and structure intensities. The proposed distribution, location, and extent of the various categories of land use shall be shown on a land use map or map series which shall be supplemented by goals, policies, and measurable objectives. 2. The future land use plan and plan amendments shall be based upon surveys, studies, and data regarding the area, as applicable, including: a. The amount of land required to accommodate anticipated growth. b. The projected permanent and seasonal population of the area. c. The character of undeveloped land. d. The availability of water supplies, public facilities, and services. e. The need for redevelopment, including the renewal of blighted areas and the elimination of nonconforming uses which are inconsistent with the character of the community. f. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to or closely proximate to military installations. g. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to an airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02. h. The discouragement of urban sprawl. i. The need for job creation, capital investment, and economic development that will strengthen and diversify the community’s economy. j. The need to modify land uses and development patterns within antiquated subdivisions. 3. The future land use plan element shall include criteria to be used to: a. Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent or closely proximate to military installations, considering factors identified in s. 163.3175(5). b. Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent to an airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02. c. Encourage preservation of recreational and commercial working waterfronts for water-dependent uses in coastal communities. d. Encourage the location of schools proximate to urban residential areas to the extent possible. e. Coordinate future land uses with the topography and soil conditions, and the availability of facilities and services. f. Ensure the protection of natural and historic resources. g. Provide for the compatibility of adjacent land uses. h. Provide guidelines for the implementation of mixed-use development including the types of uses allowed, the percentage distribution among the mix of uses, or other standards, and the density and intensity of each use. 4. The amount of land designated for future planned uses shall provide a balance of uses that foster vibrant, viable communities and economic development opportunities and address outdated development patterns, such as antiquated subdivisions. The amount of land designated for future land uses should allow the operation of real estate markets to provide adequate choices for permanent and seasonal residents and business and may not be limited solely by the projected population. The element shall accommodate at least the minimum amount of land required to accommodate the medium projections as published by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research for at least a 10-year planning period unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05, including related rules of the Administration Commission. 5. The future land use plan of a county may designate areas for possible future municipal incorporation. 6. The land use maps or map series shall generally identify and depict historic district boundaries and shall designate historically significant properties meriting protection. 7. The future land use element must clearly identify the land use categories in which public schools are an allowable use. When delineating the land use categories in which public schools are an allowable use, a local government shall include in the categories sufficient land proximate to residential development to meet the projected needs for schools in coordination with public school boards and may establish differing criteria for schools of different type or size. Each local government shall include lands contiguous to existing school sites, to the maximum extent possible, within the land use categories in which public schools are an allowable use. 8. Future land use map amendments shall be based upon the following analyses: a. An analysis of the availability of facilities and services. b. An analysis of the suitability of the plan amendment for its proposed use considering the character of the undeveloped land, soils, topography, natural resources, and historic resources on site. c. An analysis of the minimum amount of land needed to achieve the goals and requirements of this section. 9. The future land use element and any amendment to the future land use element shall discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl. a. The primary indicators that a plan or plan amendment does not discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl are listed below. The evaluation of the presence of these indicators shall consist of an analysis of the plan or plan amendment within the context of features and characteristics unique to each locality in order to determine whether the plan or plan amendment: (I) Promotes, allows, or designates for development substantial areas of the jurisdiction to develop as low-intensity, low-density, or single-use development or uses. (II) Promotes, allows, or designates significant amounts of urban development to occur in rural areas at substantial distances from existing urban areas while not using undeveloped lands that are available and suitable for development. (III) Promotes, allows, or designates urban development in radial, strip, isolated, or ribbon patterns generally emanating from existing urban developments. (IV) Fails to adequately protect and conserve natural resources, such as wetlands, floodplains, native vegetation, environmentally sensitive areas, natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas, lakes, rivers, shorelines, beaches, bays, estuarine systems, and other significant natural systems. (V) Fails to adequately protect adjacent agricultural areas and activities, including silviculture, active agricultural and silvicultural activities, passive agricultural activities, and dormant, unique, and prime farmlands and soils. (VI) Fails to maximize use of existing public facilities and services. (VII) Fails to maximize use of future public facilities and services. (VIII) Allows for land use patterns or timing which disproportionately increase the cost in time, money, and energy of providing and maintaining facilities and services, including roads, potable water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management, law enforcement, education, health care, fire and emergency response, and general government. (IX) Fails to provide a clear separation between rural and urban uses. (X) Discourages or inhibits infill development or the redevelopment of existing neighborhoods and communities. (XI) Fails to encourage a functional mix of uses. (XII) Results in poor accessibility among linked or related land uses. (XIII) Results in the loss of significant amounts of functional open space. b. The future land use element or plan amendment shall be determined to discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl if it incorporates a development pattern or urban form that achieves four or more of the following: (I) Directs or locates economic growth and associated land development to geographic areas of the community in a manner that does not have an adverse impact on and protects natural resources and ecosystems. (II) Promotes the efficient and cost-effective provision or extension of public infrastructure and services. (III) Promotes walkable and connected communities and provides for compact development and a mix of uses at densities and intensities that will support a range of housing choices and a multimodal transportation system, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit, if available. (IV) Promotes conservation of water and energy. (V) Preserves agricultural areas and activities, including silviculture, and dormant, unique, and prime farmlands and soils. (VI) Preserves open space and natural lands and provides for public open space and recreation needs. (VII) Creates a balance of land uses based upon demands of the residential population for the nonresidential needs of an area. (VIII) Provides uses, densities, and intensities of use and urban form that would remediate an existing or planned development pattern in the vicinity that constitutes sprawl or if it provides for an innovative development pattern such as transit-oriented developments or new towns as defined in s. 163.3164. 10. The future land use element shall include a future land use map or map series. a. The proposed distribution, extent, and location of the following uses shall be shown on the future land use map or map series: (I) Residential. (II) Commercial. (III) Industrial. (IV) Agricultural. (V) Recreational. (VI) Conservation. (VII) Educational. (VIII) Public. b. The following areas shall also be shown on the future land use map or map series, if applicable: (I) Historic district boundaries and designated historically significant properties. (II) Transportation concurrency management area boundaries or transportation concurrency exception area boundaries. (III) Multimodal transportation district boundaries. (IV) Mixed-use categories. c. The following natural resources or conditions shall be shown on the future land use map or map series, if applicable: (I) Existing and planned public potable waterwells, cones of influence, and wellhead protection areas. (II) Beaches and shores, including estuarine systems. (III) Rivers, bays, lakes, floodplains, and harbors. (IV) Wetlands. (V) Minerals and soils. (VI) Coastal high hazard areas. (b) A transportation element addressing mobility issues in relationship to the size and character of the local government. The purpose of the transportation element shall be to plan for a multimodal transportation system that places emphasis on public transportation systems, where feasible. The element shall provide for a safe, convenient multimodal transportation system, coordinated with the future land use map or map series and designed to support all elements of the comprehensive plan. A local government that has all or part of its jurisdiction included within the metropolitan planning area of a metropolitan planning organization (M.P.O.) pursuant to s. 339.175 shall prepare and adopt a transportation element consistent with this subsection. Local governments that are not located within the metropolitan planning area of an M.P.O. shall address traffic circulation, mass transit, and ports, and aviation and related facilities consistent with this subsection, except that local governments with a population of 50,000 or less shall only be required to address transportation circulation. The element shall be coordinated with the plans and programs of any applicable metropolitan planning organization, transportation authority, Florida Transportation Plan, and Department of Transportation adopted work program. 1. Each local government’s transportation element shall address traffic circulation, including the types, locations, and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares and transportation routes, including bicycle and pedestrian ways. Transportation corridors, as defined in s. 334.03, may be designated in the transportation element pursuant to s. 337.273. If the transportation corridors are designated, the local government may adopt a transportation corridor management ordinance. The element shall include a map or map series showing the general location of the existing and proposed transportation system features and shall be coordinated with the future land use map or map series. The element shall reflect the data, analysis, and associated principles and strategies relating to: a. The existing transportation system levels of service and system needs and the availability of transportation facilities and services. b. The growth trends and travel patterns and interactions between land use and transportation. c. Existing and projected intermodal deficiencies and needs. d. The projected transportation system levels of service and system needs based upon the future land use map and the projected integrated transportation system. e. How the local government will correct existing facility deficiencies, meet the identified needs of the projected transportation system, and advance the purpose of this paragraph and the other elements of the comprehensive plan. 2. Local governments within a metropolitan planning area designated as an M.P.O. pursuant to s. 339.175 shall also address: a. All alternative modes of travel, such as public transportation, pedestrian, and bicycle travel. b. Aviation, rail, seaport facilities, access to those facilities, and intermodal terminals. c. The capability to evacuate the coastal population before an impending natural disaster. d. Airports, projected airport and aviation development, and land use compatibility around airports, which includes areas defined in ss. 333.01 and 333.02. e. An identification of land use densities, building intensities, and transportation management programs to promote public transportation systems in designated public transportation corridors so as to encourage population densities sufficient to support such systems. 3. Municipalities having populations greater than 50,000, and counties having populations greater than 75,000, shall include mass-transit provisions showing proposed methods for the moving of people, rights-of-way, terminals, and related facilities and shall address: a. The provision of efficient public transit services based upon existing and proposed major trip generators and attractors, safe and convenient public transit terminals, land uses, and accommodation of the special needs of the transportation disadvantaged. b. Plans for port, aviation, and related facilities coordinated with the general circulation and transportation element. c. Plans for the circulation of recreational traffic, including bicycle facilities, exercise trails, riding facilities, and such other matters as may be related to the improvement and safety of movement of all types of recreational traffic. 4. At the option of a local government, an airport master plan, and any subsequent amendments to the airport master plan, prepared by a licensed publicly owned and operated airport under s. 333.06 may be incorporated into the local government comprehensive plan by the local government having jurisdiction under this act for the area in which the airport or projected airport development is located by the adoption of a comprehensive plan amendment. In the amendment to the local comprehensive plan that integrates the airport master plan, the comprehensive plan amendment shall address land use compatibility consistent with chapter 333 regarding airport zoning; the provision of regional transportation facilities for the efficient use and operation of the transportation system and airport; consistency with the local government transportation circulation element and applicable M.P.O. long-range transportation plans; the execution of any necessary interlocal agreements for the purposes of the provision of public facilities and services to maintain the adopted level-of-service standards for facilities subject to concurrency; and may address airport-related or aviation-related development. Development or expansion of an airport consistent with the adopted airport master plan that has been incorporated into the local comprehensive plan in compliance with this part, and airport-related or aviation-related development that has been addressed in the comprehensive plan amendment that incorporates the airport master plan, do not constitute a development of regional impact. Notwithstanding any other general law, an airport that has received a development-of-regional-impact development order pursuant to s. 380.06, but which is no longer required to undergo development-of-regional-impact review pursuant to this subsection, may rescind its development-of-regional-impact order upon written notification to the applicable local government. Upon receipt by the local government, the development-of-regional-impact development order shall be deemed rescinded. (c) A general sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, and natural groundwater aquifer recharge element correlated to principles and guidelines for future land use, indicating ways to provide for future potable water, drainage, sanitary sewer, solid waste, and aquifer recharge protection requirements for the area. The element may be a detailed engineering plan including a topographic map depicting areas of prime groundwater recharge. 1. Each local government shall address in the data and analyses required by this section those facilities that provide service within the local government’s jurisdiction. Local governments that provide facilities to serve areas within other local government jurisdictions shall also address those facilities in the data and analyses required by this section, using data from the comprehensive plan for those areas for the purpose of projecting facility needs as required in this subsection. For shared facilities, each local government shall indicate the proportional capacity of the systems allocated to serve its jurisdiction. 2. The element must describe the problems and needs and the general facilities that will be required for solution of the problems and needs, including correcting existing facility deficiencies. The element must address coordinating the extension of, increase in the capacity of, or upgrade in treatment of facilities to meet future needs; prioritizing advanced waste treatment while maximizing the use of existing facilities and discouraging urban sprawl; conserving potable water resources; and protecting the functions of natural groundwater recharge areas and natural drainage features. 3. Within the local government’s jurisdiction, for any development of more than 50 residential lots, whether built or unbuilt, with more than one onsite sewage treatment and disposal system per 1 acre, the element must consider the feasibility of providing sanitary sewer services within a 10-year planning horizon and must identify the name and location of the wastewater facility that could receive sanitary sewer flows after connection; the capacity of the facility and any associated transmission facilities; the projected wastewater flow at that facility for the next 20 years, including expected future new construction and connections of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems to sanitary sewer; and a timeline for the construction of the sanitary sewer system. An onsite sewage treatment and disposal system is presumed to exist on a parcel if sanitary sewer services are not available at or adjacent to the parcel boundary. Each comprehensive plan must be updated to include this element by July 1, 2024, and as needed thereafter to account for future applicable developments. This subparagraph does not apply to a local government designated as a rural area of opportunity under s. 288.0656. 4. Within 18 months after the governing board approves an updated regional water supply plan, the element must incorporate the alternative water supply project or projects selected by the local government from those identified in the regional water supply plan pursuant to s. 373.709(2)(a) or proposed by the local government under s. 373.709(8)(b). If a local government is located within two water management districts, the local government must adopt its comprehensive plan amendment within 18 months after the later updated regional water supply plan. The element must identify such alternative water supply projects and traditional water supply projects and conservation and reuse necessary to meet the water needs identified in s. 373.709(2)(a) within the local government’s jurisdiction and include a work plan, covering at least a 10-year planning period, for building public, private, and regional water supply facilities, including development of alternative water supplies, which are identified in the element as necessary to serve existing and new development. The work plan must be updated, at a minimum, every 5 years within 18 months after the governing board of a water management district approves an updated regional water supply plan. Local governments, public and private utilities, regional water supply authorities, special districts, and water management districts are encouraged to cooperatively plan for the development of multijurisdictional water supply facilities that are sufficient to meet projected demands for established planning periods, including the development of alternative water sources to supplement traditional sources of groundwater and surface water supplies. 5. A local government that does not own, operate, or maintain its own water supply facilities, including, but not limited to, wells, treatment facilities, and distribution infrastructure, and is served by a public water utility with a permitted allocation of greater than 300 million gallons per day is not required to amend its comprehensive plan in response to an updated regional water supply plan or to maintain a work plan if any such local government’s usage of water constitutes less than 1 percent of the public water utility’s total permitted allocation. However, any such local government shall cooperate with, and provide relevant data to, any local government or utility provider that provides service within its jurisdiction, and shall keep its general sanitary sewer, solid waste, potable water, and natural groundwater aquifer recharge element updated in accordance with s. 163.3191. (d) A conservation element for the conservation, use, and protection of natural resources in the area, including air, water, water recharge areas, wetlands, waterwells, estuarine marshes, soils, beaches, shores, flood plains, rivers, bays, lakes, harbors, forests, fisheries and wildlife, marine habitat, minerals, and other natural and environmental resources, including factors that affect energy conservation. 1. The following natural resources, where present within the local government’s boundaries, shall be identified and analyzed and existing recreational or conservation uses, known pollution problems, including hazardous wastes, and the potential for conservation, recreation, use, or protection shall also be identified: a. Rivers, bays, lakes, wetlands including estuarine marshes, groundwaters, and springs, including information on quality of the resource available. b. Floodplains. c. Known sources of commercially valuable minerals. d. Areas known to have experienced soil erosion problems. e. Areas that are the location of recreationally and commercially important fish or shellfish, wildlife, marine habitats, and vegetative communities, including forests, indicating known dominant species present and species listed by federal, state, or local government agencies as endangered, threatened, or species of special concern. 2. The element must contain principles, guidelines, and standards for conservation that provide long-term goals and which: a. Protects air quality. b. Conserves, appropriately uses, and protects the quality and quantity of current and projected water sources and waters that flow into estuarine waters or oceanic waters and protect from activities and land uses known to affect adversely the quality and quantity of identified water sources, including natural groundwater recharge areas, wellhead protection areas, and surface waters used as a source of public water supply. c. Provides for the emergency conservation of water sources in accordance with the plans of the regional water management district. d. Conserves, appropriately uses, and protects minerals, soils, and native vegetative communities, including forests, from destruction by development activities. e. Conserves, appropriately uses, and protects fisheries, wildlife, wildlife habitat, and marine habitat and restricts activities known to adversely affect the survival of endangered and threatened wildlife. f. Protects existing natural reservations identified in the recreation and open space element. g. Maintains cooperation with adjacent local governments to conserve, appropriately use, or protect unique vegetative communities located within more than one local jurisdiction. h. Designates environmentally sensitive lands for protection based on locally determined criteria which further the goals and objectives of the conservation element. i. Manages hazardous waste to protect natural resources. j. Protects and conserves wetlands and the natural functions of wetlands. k. Directs future land uses that are incompatible with the protection and conservation of wetlands and wetland functions away from wetlands. The type, intensity or density, extent, distribution, and location of allowable land uses and the types, values, functions, sizes, conditions, and locations of wetlands are land use factors that shall be considered when directing incompatible land uses away from wetlands. Land uses shall be distributed in a manner that minimizes the effect and impact on wetlands. The protection and conservation of wetlands by the direction of incompatible land uses away from wetlands shall occur in combination with other principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies in the comprehensive plan. Where incompatible land uses are allowed to occur, mitigation shall be considered as one means to compensate for loss of wetlands functions. 3. Current and projected needs and sources for at least a 10-year period based on the demands for industrial, agricultural, and potable water use and the quality and quantity of water available to meet these demands shall be analyzed. The analysis shall consider the existing levels of water conservation, use, and protection and applicable policies of the regional water management district and further must consider the appropriate regional water supply plan approved pursuant to s. 373.709, or, in the absence of an approved regional water supply plan, the district water management plan approved pursuant to s. 373.036(2). This information shall be submitted to the appropriate agencies. (e) A recreation and open space element indicating a comprehensive system of public and private sites for recreation, including, but not limited to, natural reservations, parks and playgrounds, parkways, beaches and public access to beaches, open spaces, waterways, and other recreational facilities. (f)1. A housing element consisting of principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies to be followed in: a. The provision of housing for all current and anticipated future residents of the jurisdiction. b. The elimination of substandard dwelling conditions. c. The structural and aesthetic improvement of existing housing. d. The provision of adequate sites for future housing, including affordable workforce housing as defined in s. 380.0651(1)(h), housing for low-income, very-low-income, and moderate-income families, mobile homes, and group home facilities and foster care facilities, with supporting infrastructure and public facilities. The element may include provisions that specifically address affordable housing for persons 60 years of age or older. Real property that is conveyed to a local government for affordable housing under this sub-subparagraph shall be disposed of by the local government pursuant to s. 125.379 or s. 166.0451. e. Provision for relocation housing and identification of historically significant and other housing for purposes of conservation, rehabilitation, or replacement. f. The formulation of housing implementation programs. g. The creation or preservation of affordable housing to minimize the need for additional local services and avoid the concentration of affordable housing units only in specific areas of the jurisdiction. 2. The principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies of the housing element must be based on data and analysis prepared on housing needs, which shall include the number and distribution of dwelling units by type, tenure, age, rent, value, monthly cost of owner-occupied units, and rent or cost to income ratio, and shall show the number of dwelling units that are substandard. The data and analysis shall also include the methodology used to estimate the condition of housing, a projection of the anticipated number of households by size, income range, and age of residents derived from the population projections, and the minimum housing need of the current and anticipated future residents of the jurisdiction. 3. The housing element must express principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies that reflect, as needed, the creation and preservation of affordable housing for all current and anticipated future residents of the jurisdiction, elimination of substandard housing conditions, adequate sites, and distribution of housing for a range of incomes and types, including mobile and manufactured homes. The element must provide for specific programs and actions to partner with private and nonprofit sectors to address housing needs in the jurisdiction, streamline the permitting process, and minimize costs and delays for affordable housing, establish standards to address the quality of housing, stabilization of neighborhoods, and identification and improvement of historically significant housing. 4. State and federal housing plans prepared on behalf of the local government must be consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the housing element. Local governments are encouraged to use job training, job creation, and economic solutions to address a portion of their affordable housing concerns. (g) For those units of local government identified in s. 380.24, a coastal management element, appropriately related to the particular requirements of paragraphs (d) and (e) and meeting the requirements of s. 163.3178(2) and (3). The coastal management element shall set forth the principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies that shall guide the local government’s decisions and program implementation with respect to the following objectives: 1. Maintain, restore, and enhance the overall quality of the coastal zone environment, including, but not limited to, its amenities and aesthetic values. 2. Preserve the continued existence of viable populations of all species of wildlife and marine life. 3. Protect the orderly and balanced utilization and preservation, consistent with sound conservation principles, of all living and nonliving coastal zone resources. 4. Avoid irreversible and irretrievable loss of coastal zone resources. 5. Use ecological planning principles and assumptions in the determination of the suitability of permitted development. 6. Limit public expenditures that subsidize development in coastal high-hazard areas. 7. Protect human life against the effects of natural disasters. 8. Direct the orderly development, maintenance, and use of ports identified in s. 403.021(9) to facilitate deepwater commercial navigation and other related activities. 9. Preserve historic and archaeological resources, which include the sensitive adaptive use of these resources. 10. At the option of the local government, develop an adaptation action area designation for those low-lying coastal zones that are experiencing coastal flooding due to extreme high tides and storm surge and are vulnerable to the impacts of rising sea level. Local governments that adopt an adaptation action area may consider policies within the coastal management element to improve resilience to coastal flooding resulting from high-tide events, storm surge, flash floods, stormwater runoff, and related impacts of sea-level rise. Criteria for the adaptation action area may include, but need not be limited to, areas for which the land elevations are below, at, or near mean higher high water, which have a hydrologic connection to coastal waters, or which are designated as evacuation zones for storm surge. (h)1. An intergovernmental coordination element showing relationships and stating principles and guidelines to be used in coordinating the adopted comprehensive plan with the plans of school boards, regional water supply authorities, and other units of local government providing services but not having regulatory authority over the use of land, with the comprehensive plans of adjacent municipalities, the county, adjacent counties, or the region, with the state comprehensive plan and with the applicable regional water supply plan approved pursuant to s. 373.709, as the case may require and as such adopted plans or plans in preparation may exist. This element of the local comprehensive plan must demonstrate consideration of the particular effects of the local plan, when adopted, upon the development of adjacent municipalities, the county, adjacent counties, or the region, or upon the state comprehensive plan, as the case may require. a. The intergovernmental coordination element must provide procedures for identifying and implementing joint planning areas, especially for the purpose of annexation, municipal incorporation, and joint infrastructure service areas. b. The intergovernmental coordination element shall provide for a dispute resolution process, as established pursuant to s. 186.509, for bringing intergovernmental disputes to closure in a timely manner. c. The intergovernmental coordination element shall provide for interlocal agreements as established pursuant to s. 333.03(1)(b). 2. The intergovernmental coordination element shall also state principles and guidelines to be used in coordinating the adopted comprehensive plan with the plans of school boards and other units of local government providing facilities and services but not having regulatory authority over the use of land. In addition, the intergovernmental coordination element must describe joint processes for collaborative planning and decisionmaking on population projections and public school siting, the location and extension of public facilities subject to concurrency, and siting facilities with countywide significance, including locally unwanted land uses whose nature and identity are established in an agreement. 3. Within 1 year after adopting their intergovernmental coordination elements, each county, all the municipalities within that county, the district school board, and any unit of local government service providers in that county shall establish by interlocal or other formal agreement executed by all affected entities, the joint processes described in this subparagraph consistent with their adopted intergovernmental coordination elements. The agreement must: a. Ensure that the local government addresses through coordination mechanisms the impacts of development proposed in the local comprehensive plan upon development in adjacent municipalities, the county, adjacent counties, the region, and the state. The area of concern for municipalities shall include adjacent municipalities, the county, and counties adjacent to the municipality. The area of concern for counties shall include all municipalities within the county, adjacent counties, and adjacent municipalities. b. Ensure coordination in establishing level of service standards for public facilities with any state, regional, or local entity having operational and maintenance responsibility for such facilities. (i)1. In accordance with the legislative intent expressed in ss. 163.3161(10) and 187.101(3) that governmental entities respect judicially acknowledged and constitutionally protected private property rights, each local government shall include in its comprehensive plan a property rights element to ensure that private property rights are considered in local decisionmaking. A local government may adopt its own property rights element or use the following statement of rights: The following rights shall be considered in local decisionmaking: 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. 2. Each local government must adopt a property rights element in its comprehensive plan by the earlier of the date of its adoption of its next proposed plan amendment that is initiated after July 1, 2021, or the date of the next scheduled evaluation and appraisal of its comprehensive plan pursuant to s. 163.3191. If a local government adopts its own property rights element, the element may not conflict with the statement of rights provided in subparagraph 1.

(7)(a) The Legislature finds that: 1. There are a number of rural agricultural industrial centers in the state that process, produce, or aid in the production or distribution of a variety of agriculturally based products, including, but not limited to, fruits, vegetables, timber, and other crops, and juices, paper, and building materials. Rural agricultural industrial centers have a significant amount of existing associated infrastructure that is used for processing, producing, or distributing agricultural products. 2. Such rural agricultural industrial centers are often located within or near communities in which the economy is largely dependent upon agriculture and agriculturally based products. The centers significantly enhance the economy of such communities. However, these agriculturally based communities are often socioeconomically challenged and designated as rural areas of opportunity. If such rural agricultural industrial centers are lost and not replaced with other job-creating enterprises, the agriculturally based communities will lose a substantial amount of their economies. 3. The state has a compelling interest in preserving the viability of agriculture and protecting rural agricultural communities and the state from the economic upheaval that would result from short-term or long-term adverse changes in the agricultural economy. To protect these communities and promote viable agriculture for the long term, it is essential to encourage and permit diversification of existing rural agricultural industrial centers by providing for jobs that are not solely dependent upon, but are compatible with and complement, existing agricultural industrial operations and to encourage the creation and expansion of industries that use agricultural products in innovative ways. However, the expansion and diversification of these existing centers must be accomplished in a manner that does not promote urban sprawl into surrounding agricultural and rural areas. (b) As used in this subsection, the term “rural agricultural industrial center” means a developed parcel of land in an unincorporated area on which there exists an operating agricultural industrial facility or facilities that employ at least 200 full-time employees in the aggregate and process and prepare for transport a farm product, as defined in s. 163.3162, or any biomass material that could be used, directly or indirectly, for the production of fuel, renewable energy, bioenergy, or alternative fuel as defined by law. The center may also include land contiguous to the facility site which is not used for the cultivation of crops, but on which other existing activities essential to the operation of such facility or facilities are located or conducted. The parcel of land must be located within, or within 10 miles of, a rural area of opportunity. (c)1. A landowner whose land is located within a rural agricultural industrial center may apply for an amendment to the local government comprehensive plan for the purpose of designating and expanding the existing agricultural industrial uses of facilities located within the center or expanding the existing center to include industrial uses or facilities that are not dependent upon but are compatible with agriculture and the existing uses and facilities. A local government comprehensive plan amendment under this paragraph must: a. Not increase the physical area of the existing rural agricultural industrial center by more than 50 percent or 320 acres, whichever is greater. b. Propose a project that would, upon completion, create at least 50 new full-time jobs. c. Demonstrate that sufficient infrastructure capacity exists or will be provided to support the expanded center at the level-of-service standards adopted in the local government comprehensive plan. d. Contain goals, objectives, and policies that will ensure that any adverse environmental impacts of the expanded center will be adequately addressed and mitigation implemented or demonstrate that the local government comprehensive plan contains such provisions. 2. Within 6 months after receiving an application as provided in this paragraph, the local government shall transmit the application to the state land planning agency for review pursuant to this chapter together with any needed amendments to the applicable sections of its comprehensive plan to include goals, objectives, and policies that provide for the expansion of rural agricultural industrial centers and discourage urban sprawl in the surrounding areas. Such goals, objectives, and policies must promote and be consistent with the findings in this subsection. An amendment that meets the requirements of this subsection is presumed not to be urban sprawl as defined in s. 163.3164 and shall be considered within 90 days after any review required by the state land planning agency if required by s. 163.3184. This presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. (d) This subsection does not apply to an optional sector plan adopted pursuant to s. 163.3245, a rural land stewardship area designated pursuant to s. 163.3248, or any comprehensive plan amendment that includes an inland port terminal or affiliated port development. (e) This subsection does not confer the status of rural area of opportunity, or any of the rights or benefits derived from such status, on any land area not otherwise designated as such pursuant to s. 288.0656(7).

History: s. 7, ch. 75-257; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 80-154; s. 6, ch. 83-308; s. 1, ch. 85-42; s. 6, ch. 85-55; s. 1, ch. 85-309; s. 7, ch. 86-191; s. 5, ch. 92-129; s. 6, ch. 93-206; s. 898, ch. 95-147; s. 3, ch. 95-257; s. 4, ch. 95-322; s. 10, ch. 95-341; s. 10, ch. 96-320; s. 24, ch. 96-410; s. 2, ch. 96-416; s. 2, ch. 98-146; s. 4, ch. 98-176; s. 4, ch. 98-258; s. 90, ch. 99-251; s. 3, ch. 99-378; s. 40, ch. 2001-201; s. 64, ch. 2001-279; s. 24, ch. 2002-1; s. 58, ch. 2002-20; s. 70, ch. 2002-295; s. 2, ch. 2002-296; s. 904, ch. 2002-387; s. 61, ch. 2003-286; s. 2, ch. 2004-230; s. 4, ch. 2004-372; s. 2, ch. 2004-381; s. 2, ch. 2005-36; s. 1, ch. 2005-157; s. 2, ch. 2005-290; s. 10, ch. 2005-291; s. 2, ch. 2006-220; s. 57, ch. 2007-196; s. 1, ch. 2007-198; s. 2, ch. 2007-204; s. 2, ch. 2008-191; s. 10, ch. 2009-21; s. 3, ch. 2009-85; s. 3, ch. 2009-96; s. 1, ch. 2009-154; s. 43, ch. 2010-102; s. 2, ch. 2010-182; s. 4, ch. 2010-205; s. 3, ch. 2011-14; s. 12, ch. 2011-139; s. 3, ch. 2011-189; s. 4, ch. 2012-99; s. 24, ch. 2014-218; s. 2, ch. 2015-30; s. 13, ch. 2016-10; s. 31, ch. 2019-3; s. 2, ch. 2021-195; s. 1, ch. 2023-31; s. 1, ch. 2023-169; s. 2, ch. 2025-136.