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Comprehensive Plan introductory Element On May 29, 1975, the county adopted a comprehensive plan as a guide and advisory tool in the regulation and control of private property. Even with that plan, the legal control of development was still to be vested in the zoning, platting, and other specific ordinances adopted by the county. Also in 1975, the state enacted the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act, which required the designation of a local planning agency as well as the development of a comprehensive plan. In response to that act, the Board of County Commissioners designated the Planning and Zoning Commission as the local planning agency and, in 1982, adopted a comprehensive plan that did have the force of law. After plan adoption, zoning, subdivision, and other land use regulations were required to conform to the plan. Pursuant to the state growth management act, amendments to the comprehensive plan were subject to review by regional and state agencies and could be submitted only twice annually. With adoption of the 1985 Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act, commonly referred to as the Growth Management Act, the state expanded the scope of the comprehensive planning requirement in Florida even more. To implement the Growth Management Act, the state adopted Rule 9J-5 of the Florida Administrative Code. Together, those actions established a top down planning process in Florida, a process in which plans were developed first at both the state and regional levels. Consistent with state law, local governments had to develop and maintain adopted comprehensive plans which had to be consistent with both the intent and specific objectives set forth in the state and regional plans. Pursuant to the requirements of the 1985 Growth Management Act, Indian River County adopted its current comprehensive plan on February 13, 1990. Because the Growth Management Act and rule 9J-5 recognize that changing circumstances may necessitate amendments to comprehensive plans, amendments to the plan are allowed when certain criteria are met. Since plan adoption, Indian River County has amended its plan several times. Those amendments have ranged in significance from minor text changes to substantial future land use map changes. Another provision of state law recognizes that periodic assessment and evaluation is a required part of the planning process. For that reason, each of Florida's local governments is required to periodically submit an adopted Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) to the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA). With the first post 1985 Growth Management Act round of EARs, local governments with 1992 populations of more than 2,500 persons had to submit their EAR's to DCA approximately seven years after plan adoption. Indian River County's first EAR was adopted on December 17, 1996. The 1996 EAR identified many changes necessary to update the plan to reflect new data, changes in state law, and new circumstances in the community. Those changes were incorporated into EAR based plan amendments, which were adopted in 1998. A second County EAR was adopted on November 18, 2008. Community Development Department Indian River County 3