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Table 2.2. Historic Land Uses and Percent of Total Land Coverage -7--19431 19691 19842 Urban 3.27 9.57 11.47 Agricultural 27.47 46.72 60.54 Natural 69.25 43.71 27.99 Sources: Land Uses in Indian River County, Florida; An Analysis; Louis C. Burney, 1970. 2 Mapping and Monitoring of Agricultural Lands; Department of Community Affairs, 1984. 3 Some Urban Uses (Recreation, Idle, Refuge) reported in 1943, 1969 may be classified in part as Agricultural or Natural uses in 1984. 4 Bare Soil 1984, 50% allocated to both Urban and Agricultural Groups. PREVIOUS COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS In the past, Indian River County has undertaken several comprehensive planning efforts. Included among those efforts was a plan adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in 1982. The Land Use Element of the 1982 plan set forth objectives and standards for the immediate and long-range development of the county. In the 1982 plan, the two major land use objectives centered on urban services and incompatible uses. According to that plan, higher intensity development was to be encouraged in areas which contained or were programmed for urban services, while lower intensity development was to be permitted in urban fringe areas and in environmentally sensitive areas. That plan also provided for the separation of incompatible uses and encouraged the use of natural buffers. In addition, the objectives of the Land Use Element provided a basis for establishing specific land development regulation policies. With respect to commercial/industrial land uses, policies were intended to discourage strip development and enhance the traffic handling capacity of local roads through the use of compact activity areas. On the other hand, agricultural policies were designed to prohibit urban encroachment into agriculturally productive lands. As to development along fringe areas, that was to be permitted if it was consistent with planned growth areas and the existing conditions in the immediate area of the proposed development. In the 1982 plan, open space and recreational policies were intended to preserve existing open space and recreational areas, develop new open space and recreational areas, and maximize the utilization of scenic and cultural facilities whenever possible. Residential land use policies in the plan focused on regulating the density and location of residential neighborhoods to complement Future Land Use Element 8