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• • The proposed amendment involves a swap or reconfiguration of land use designations at separate sites and that swap or reconfiguration will not increase the overall land use density or intensity depicted on the Future Land Use Map. The proposed land use amendment meets the policy's third criterion. On February 13, 1990, when the comprehensive plan was adopted, the subject properties were in private ownership. At that time, the sites were correctly designated for residential uses. Since then, the sites have been purchased for conservation purposes. The acquisition of the sites by public agencies constitutes a substantial change in circumstances affecting the subject properties and meets the third criterion of Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3. Therefore, the proposed amendment is consistent with Future Land Use Element Policy 14.3. - Future Land Use Element Policies 1.5 and 1.6 Future Land Use Element Policy 1.5 states that the conservation land use designations are applied to those areas which are vital or essential to the normal functions of ecosystems and have been identified in the Conservation Element as meriting preservation. Future Land Use Element Policy 1.6 limits the use of C-1 designated land to conservation and passive recreational uses. As publicly owned sites containing estuarine wetlands and native upland habitat, each of the subject properties meets those criteria. For those reasons, the request is consistent with Future Land Use Element Policies 1.5 and 1.6. As part of the staff analysis, all policies in the comprehensive plan were considered. Based upon that analysis, staff determined that the proposed land use designation amendment is consistent with the comprehensive plan. The sites' existing land use designations offer only limited environmental protections. Residential development on the subject properties would be required to preserve only 15 percent of the upland habitat of the sites. In contrast, under the proposed land use designation, the entire area of each site would be preserved, and development would be limited to conservation and compatible passive recreational uses. Although the sites are publicly owned and could be developed as public parks under the existing land use designations, the proposed land use designation provides the sites with additional protection from development. By prohibiting most types of development on the sites, the proposed request will ensure that the environmental quality of the sites will be preserved. For these reasons, the proposed land use amendment is anticipated to positively impact the environmental quality of the subject properties. Based on the analysis, staff has determined that the proposed amendment is consistent with the comprehensive plan, compatible with all surrounding land uses, and will cause no adverse impacts on the provision of public services. The proposed changes work to ensure the preservation of environmentally sensitive and important habitat. For these reasons, staff supports the request. Based on the analysis, staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommend that the Board of County Commissioners transmit this proposed land use designation amendment request to DCA for their review. November 10, 1998 61 • Boy 0 8 PAGE "'O