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