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For those reasons,staff has determined that the requested land use amendment is compatible with the surrounding area. Potential Impact on Environmental Ouality The site's existing land use designations offer only limited environmental protection. Given the residential and Conservation-2 land use designations of the subject properties,development on the sites would be required to preserve only 10 or 15 percent of the upland habitat. In contrast, the proposed land use designation will preserve the entire area of the site, and development will be limited to conservation and compatible passive recreational uses. By prohibiting most types of development on the site, the proposed request will ensure that the environmental quality of the property will be preserved. For those reasons,the proposed land use amendment will positively impact the environmental quality of the subject properties. Consistency with Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Plan amendment requests are reviewed for consistency with all applicable policies of the comprehensive plan. As per county code,the"comprehensive plan may only be amended in such a way as to preserve the internal consistency of the plan."Amendments must also show consistency (W with the overall designation of land uses as depicted on the Future Land Use Map. The goals,objectives and policies are the most important parts of the comprehensive plan. Policies are statements in the plan which identify actions the county will take in order to direct the community's development. As courses of action committed to by the county,policies provide the basis for all county land development related decisions, including plan amendment decisions. While all comprehensive plan objectives and policies are important,some have more applicability than others in reviewing plan amendment requests. Of particular applicability for this request are the following Policies: Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3 In evaluating a future land use element text amendment request,the most important consideration is Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3. That policy requires that one of four criteria be met in order to approve a land use amendment request. Those criteria are: • The proposed amendment will correct a mistake in the approved plan; • The proposed amendment will correct an oversight in the approved plan; • The proposed amendment is warranted based on a substantial change in circumstances affecting the subject property; or 6 502