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Home My WebLink About2016-046RESOLUTION NO. 2016- 046 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE TRANSMITTAL OF A PROPOSED INDIAN RIVER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT TO STATE AND REGIONAL REVIEW AGENCIES. WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners adopted the Indian River County Comprehensive Plan on February 13, 1990, and WHEREAS, the county received comprehensive plan amendment applications during its January 2016 amendment submittal window, and WHEREAS, the Local Planning Agency, after due public notice, held a public hearing on this comprehensive plan amendment request on April 14, 2016, and WHEREAS, the Local Planning Agency, after receiving public comments, made a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners held a Transmittal Public Hearing on May 24, 2016, after due public notice; and WHEREAS, The Board of County Commissioners announced at the transmittal public hearing its intention to hold and advertise a final public hearing at the adoption stage of the plan amendment process. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT: 1. The above recitals are ratified in their entirety. 2. The following proposed amendment is approved for transmittal to State and Regional Review Agencies (Appendix A): FXommunity Development\Comprehensive Plan Text Amendments\January 2016 - Various Comp Plan Flement Updates\Ordinance and Resolutions\Transmittal Resolution - Jan 2016 Comp Plan Amendments.doc 1 of 2 RESOLUTION NO. 2016- 046 AN ORDINANCE OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE TEXT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FUTURE LAND USE, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE, AND TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS, AND SOLID WASTE SUB -ELEMENT OF THE COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; AND PROVIDING CODIFICATION, SEVERABILITY, AND EFFECTIVE DATE The forgoing Resolution was offered by Commissioner 0, Bryan and seconded by Commissioner Zorc and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: Bob Solari, Chairman AYE Joseph E. Flescher, Vice Chairman AYE Peter D. O'Bryan, Commissioner AYE Timothy Zorc, Commissioner AYE Wesley S. Davis, Commissioner AYE The Chairman thereupon declared the resolution duly passed and adopted at a public hearing held this 24th day of May 2016. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA BY: 2Bob Solari, Solari, Chairman ATTEST Jeffrey R. Smith, Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGAL SUFFICIENCY William K. DeBraal, Deputy County Attorney APPROVED AS TO PLANNING MATTERS Stan Boling, AICV Community Development Director F:\Community Development\Comprehensive Plan Text Amendments\January 2016 - Various Comp Plan Element Updates\Ordinance and Resolutions\Transmittal Resolution - Jan 2016 Comp Plan Amendments.doc 2 of 2 DRAFT 4-7-16 Appendix A Indian River County 2030 Comprehensive Plan Indian River County Community Development Department Adopted: October 12, 2010 Supplement # ; Adopted , 2016, Ordinance 2016- Appendix A Municipalities Within Indian River County There are five municipal governments within Indian River County. As with the surrounding counties, land uses are generally similar and compatible on both sides of municipal/ unincorporated county borders. Often, the presence of a sign is the only indication of a municipal boundary. ➢ City of Vero Beach The mainland portion of Vero Beach shares its boundaries with the county on the north, west and south sides. The island portion has a common boundary with the county on its south side. At the northern limits of the city, east of US 1, low density residential development and a golf club constitute the primary city land uses; however, mangrove wetlands are found along the Indian River. West of US 1, the Vero Beach Wil -Regional Airport occupies the northern limit of the city, west to 43rd Avenue. A large portion of the airport perimeter land is undeveloped vegetated land which provides a buffer for the high density Gifford area of the county. Much of the area west of 43rd Avenue and north of 26th Street consists of undeveloped, vegetated land, and low density residential development. The western limit of the city is generally 43rd Avenue from 26th Street south to 14th Street. Dodgertown, the former spring training complex of the Los Angeles Dodgers, occupies land south to the main canal. From the canal south to 16th Street (including the SR 60 intersection), land in the city is predominately commercial. On the west side of 43rd Avenue, the county has a commercial node at the SR 60/43rd Avenue intersection. In the unincorporated county, medium density residential uses dominate 43rd Avenue from 16th Street to 14th Street. The southern limits of the city, along 14th Street, are characterized by single-family residential development east to Old Dixie Highway and the City Cemetery. From the cemetery north and east along the US 1 corridor to 6th Avenue, land uses in the city are dominated by commercial uses; however, several older residential areas are interspersed. While moderate density residential uses dominate in the area east of 6th Avenue to the Indian River, the City of Vero Beach power plant and wastewater treatment plant are located along the river at the 17th Street Bridge. On the barrier island at the city limits, land uses are restricted to single-family homes. Future Land Use Element 37 To add flexibility and increase local control, state law provides that, under certain conditions, local governments have the option of allowing the level of service on certain roads to fall below adopted standards for a limited time. According to state law, a local government may issue a development order for a project for which insufficient road capacity exists, provided construction of the additional capacity needed to serve the project commences within three years of the issuance of the project's first building permit. As reflected in its concurrency management system, Indian River County has chosen to incorporate that provision in its regulations. Within the county, some existing roads are deficient in right-of-way. Even those roadways that are not right-of-way deficient, however, seldom have adequate right-of-way to accommodate a widening or other improvement. Consequently, most roadway improvement projects require acquisition of right-of-way to accommodate the improvement. A detailed discussion of the county roadway network is contained in the Transportation Element. ➢ Mass Transit Established in 1994, the GoLine is the fixed route transit service in Indian River County. Although available to all ages, the GoLine is operated by the Indian River County Senior Resource Association. Funding for the GoLine is provided from several sources, including the federal government, the State of Florida, Indian River County, the cities of Fellsmere and Sebastian, other non-profit agencies, and advertising revenue. In November 2009, there were fourteen routes providing fixed -route service throughout the county, with some routes operating five days per week and providing hourly service. In 2008, the fixed route system provided one- way trips to 508,977 riders, an average of 1,631 riders per service day. Recently, the GoLine established a new north county hub near the CR 510/CR 512 intersection and relocated the Vero Beach hub to the former county administration building site. While four routes provide service to the north county hub, seven routes serve the Vero Beach hub. In addition, four routes provide service to the Indian River Mall, one of the GoLine's busiest destinations Although the low density residential character of the county works as a deterrent to mass transit, there are some major trip generators and attractors located within the county. Those developments include the Indian River Mall and other shopping centers along SR 60, the 37th Street medical node, the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Sebastian, and multi -family developments. ➢ Aviation, Ports, and Rail Indian River County has three public use airports. These are the New Hibiscus Airport, the Sebastian Municipal Airport, and the Vero Beach M+eReig o�Airport. While the New Hibiscus Airport, just west of the I-95/SR 60 interchange, is used primarily for agricultural spraying from its grass runway, the Sebastian Municipal Airport has the capacity for light private and corporate aircraft. As the largest airport in the county, the Vero Beach MunieipaIRe ig anal Airport is capable of handling large commercial jet aircraft. Future Land Use Element 62 Since 1998, all new county park and recreation facilities have been constructed to be handicapped accessible and barrier free with no access constraints. Also since 1998, the county retrofitted all of its existing parks and recreational facilities to ensure that the facilities are handicapped accessible. Currently, the county's existing parkland is sufficient to serve the existing population of the county. As growth continues, however, deficiencies may occur. As detailed in the Recreation and Open Space Element, the county plans to conduct a needs assessment to determine recreation capital improvement priorities. Eventually, the county will need to increase parkland in the fast growing areas south and west of Vero Beach and west of Sebastian. In addition to parks, the county contains other open space areas. In 2007, there were approximately 100,000 acres of publicly owned open space in the county. The largest publicly owned open space areas in the county are the St. Sebastian River Preserve and the Blue Cypress and Fort Drum Marsh conservation areas. Approximately 136,896 acres of agricultural land also provide significant open space in the county. In addition to purchasing land, the county uses development exactions to preserve open space. Currently, County Land Development Regulations require that developers of land containing native upland plant habitat preserve 15% of that habitat. The preservation of that land is accomplished through conservation easements. Parks, Recreation, and Open Space are discussed in more detail in the Recreation and Open Space Element. Public Safety Public safety services, including law enforcement and fire/emergency medical services, are unlike most other public services in that these services are delivered as needed on demand. Within the county, Fire/Emergency Medical Service Station locations are shown in Figure 2.24. A majority of the county population resides within a three mile radius of one of these locations. ➢ Law Enforcement For the unincorporated sections of the county, law enforcement is provided by the Indian River County Sheriffs Department through routine patrol and emergency dispatch. Those services are headquartered in a Central Sheriffs Office/Jail facility located in Gifford, in the central mainland area of the county. The municipalities of Vero Beach, Sebastian, Indian River Shores and Fellsmere provide police protection within their own corporate boundaries. The Florida State Police also provide routine traffic patrol on State and Federal Highways within the county. Correction facilities in the county are operated by the Sheriffs Department and the Florida Department of Corrections. Located on a 40 acre site in Gifford, just north of the Vero Beach Manieipal-Regional Airport, the county jail facility is part of a complex occupied by the sheriff s administration, law enforcement and corrections divisions. Existing facilities include a 166,000 Future Land Use Element 67 eliminate ranchette type of development in agricultural areas and will provide working open space which could be used for agricultural and recreational uses while providing for residential and other non-agricultural development. Finally, this type of designation will reduce the threat of urban sprawl. Together, those tools will promote a compact, low-density land use pattern in Indian River County. According to the Urban Land Institute, "compact development does not imply ... high density, but rather higher average `blended' densities. Compact development also features a mix of land uses, development of strong population and employment centers, interconnection of streets, and the design of spaces at a human scale." [(Growing Cooler: The Evidence of Urban Development and Climate Change (2007)]. NEED FOR REDEVELOPMENT Defined as areas that contain neglected and abandoned structures that are in need of repair or demolition, bighted -areas needing redevelopment or revitalization areas usually occur in older and poorer areas of a community. In the unincorporated county, there are three areas that currently contain incompatible uses and experience varying degrees of blight deterioration. Those three areas are the Wabasso community in the north county, the Gifford community in the central county, and the Oslo Road area in the south county. Those blighted -areas needing redevelopment or revitalization have some of the same negative impacts that are often found in association with incompatible uses. In recent years, the county has used Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funds, and local funds to make improvements within the identified blighted areas needing redevelopment or revitalization. In 2002, for example, Indian River County was awarded a $750,000 Housing Community Development Block Grant. Those funds were used to rehabilitate approximately 24 homes within the Gifford community. Between 2005 and 2008, the county used approximately $727,228 in CDBG funds to install new water lines within the Wabasso community. Using CDBG funds, the county constructed a new fire station in the Gifford community during 2009. Various other public improvements, including road and drainage improvement projects, have also been made in those blightedareasneeding redevelopment or revitalization. Complementing those improvements has been an increase in code enforcement activities in those areas. Overall, the code enforcement initiatives have been successful in getting property owners to clean up their properties through removal of old cars, demolition of unsafe structures, and general property maintenance. A review of the Wabasso, Gifford, and Oslo Road areas reveals several similarities commonly associated with blighted plaees areas needing redevelopment or revitalization. Those include a higher than average proportion of low income residents with lower educational achievement, a larger proportion of children, and a high proportion of minorities. The similarities of those areas cease at that point. As discussed below, each area has unique constraints and opportunities for renewal and development. Future Land Use Element 124 Wabasso Wabasso is an old unincorporated community at the intersection of US 1 and CR 510. Extending north and south along US 1 and west on CR 510, the community is primarily rural in character and has only recently received public water and sewer services. Along US 1, commercial uses predominate. Those uses range from those which serve the immediate community to those which take advantage of the relatively high traffic volume to serve a larger area. While citrus packing and processing is the largest commercial/industrial use, residential uses including single family homes and mobile homes extend along US I and CR 510. Within Wabasso, the blighted -areas needing redevelopment or revitalization portion of the -area -is concentrated west of the FEC Railroad along CR 510 and consists primarily of residential uses. That area has been targeted in the past for assistance by the county. As a result of its strategic location at the entrance to the north bridge and the barrier island, the Wabasso area is likely to undergo changes in the future. In fact, recent and future growth on the barrier island and in the Sebastian area to the north will most likely act as a catalyst for land use changes in this area. The likely result will be the elimination of some older and smaller commercial uses and residential uses in favor of larger commercial uses dependent on the high traffic volumes. Recognizing the potential for change, the Wabasso community has worked with the county to initiate and develop a Wabasso Corridor Plan. That plan contains special standards to ensure well managed growth along US 1 and CR 510 in Wabasso. In Wabasso, one obstacle to major development is the difficulty in assembling enough parcels to create a site large enough for commercial development. Because redevelopment happens slowly if at all, it is important that the county continue to eliminate substandard housing and maintain code enforcement activity in West Wabasso. Gifford The Gifford area in the central portion of the county is the largest of the three blighted areas needing redevelopment or revitalization, as well as the area with the most public investment. Currently, Gifford contains a variety of uses, ranging from heavy industrial uses including junk and salvage yards to single family subdivisions. Unlike many blightedareasneeding redevelopment or revitalization, Gifford is served by public water and wastewater. The area also contains three public schools, a community center and a recreation facility and is the location of the county sheriffs administration offices and the county jail. Several low income subsidized residential developments also are located in Gifford. On the east side of US 1 near Gifford, major developments include the Indian River Medical Center and Grand Harbor, a 2,000 unit residential, recreation and commercial development. Both Future Land Use Element 125 of those developments have and will continue to attract related commercial and business support services in the vicinity, most likely along US 1. While the increase in business activity and construction has added jobs to this area, it is not evident whether the impact has benefitted the depressed area of the community. Like many depressed areas, Gifford contains a mix of land uses and a supply of vacant industrial and commercially designated land. Going forward, the county should continue to eliminate substandard housing and maintain code enforcement activity in Gifford. ➢ Gifford: Indian River County/City of Vero Beach Enterprise ZoneArea In—From 2005 until the sun -setting of the state's Enterprise Zone enabling legislation on December 31, 2015, Indian River County and the City of Vero Beach jointly estaedo ep rated an Enterprise Zone encompassing properties in and around the City of Vero Beach Muliieipal Regional Airport and properties within the Gifford Community. An Enterprise Zone +was an area designation approved by the state to encourage new economic growth and investment in distressed areas. The state accomplishesd this in part by providing tax incentives to residents and businesses within Enterprise Zones. refunds, prepet4y tax eredits, and other ta�i . Although the state sunsetted the enabling legislation at the end of 2015, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) determined that it is important for the County to continue to provide a special economic development incentive in the former Enterprise Zone area, consistent with the Gifford Neighborhood Plan Policy that supports such an incentive in the Gifford area. On January 12, 2016, the BCC approved a resolution to continue to offer a 10% local jobs grant bonus to target industries locating within the newly re -labeled "Enterprise Area". The "Enterprise Area" encompasses the same geographic area of the former Enterprise Zone. LITRn '- ,. Oslo The third blighted area needing redevelopment or revitalization is located west of US 1 along Oslo Road in the southern portion of the county. Oslo Road (9th Street, S.W.) is a principal Future Land Use Element 126 east/west arterial road in the south county from US 1 to I-95. It is expected that the county's third interchange to I-95 will be located at Oslo Road. In Oslo, the blighted area needing redevelopment or revitalization consists chiefly of old platted and unplatted residential areas. Because that area was developed before infrastructure improvements were constructed, many of the roads and lots in the area do not meet county development standards. While increased and continued code enforcement activity is necessary to identify specific structures for repair or removal, a more concerted effort involving individual property owners, the county, and third party developer -financiers will be needed to resolve many of the roadway and infrastructure deficiencies caused by development during the first half of the 201h century. DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS Generally, development in flood prone areas presents various problems, the most serious of which is the potential for loss of life from flood waters and storm surges. Flooding can also cause loss or damage to property and degradation to the environment. Besides the hazards, development costs may also be higher in those areas due to the extensive site modifications or enhanced building techniques required. Because of high costs and/or environmental limitations, public facilities and services are often not extended to those areas. In 1988, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completed a Flood Insurance Rate Study for Indian River County. That study identified the limits of Coastal Flood Zones, the 100 -Year Flood Plain and the 500 -Year Flood Plain. As shown on Figure 2.23, the county has a significant amount of flood prone land. At this time, FEMA is updating its flood study of the county and will be issuing new flood maps in 2010-2011. Within the county, the largest flood prone area is west of I-95 and includes the St. Johns Marsh area. Land uses in that area include the marsh, citrus groves, row crops and cattle grazing. The area surrounding the City of Fellsmere also contains flood prone areas which follow the pattern of drainage canals and ditches. That area contains a mixture of agricultural uses and rural residential development on large (5 acre+) lots. East of I-95, flood prone areas are confined to 4 general areas. The first area extends along the east side of I-95 from the Brevard County line to approximately 2 miles north of SR 60 and east to 90th Avenue and the St. Sebastian River. With the exception of the area along CR 512, land uses are limited to cattle grazing and vacant land. A commercial/industrial node is located at the CR 512/1-95 interchange, although much of that node was recently annexed by the City of Fellsmere. Largely undeveloped, the northeast quadrant of that node contains several high-tech industrial manufacturing plants and highway commercial establishments. Immediately south of CR 512 is the Vero Lake Estates Subdivision (see residential land use, vacant land use). A Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) has been created for that 5,000 lot subdivision to provide for roadway and drainage improvements. Future Land Use Element 127 Policy 1.32: The Recreation land use designation shall be applied to land used for active and passive public parks and recreation facilities, including but not limited to ball fields, swimming pools, tennis courts, racquetball courts, handball courts, shuffleboard courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, children's playgrounds, golf courses, fairgrounds, community/activity centers, walking/jogging/fitness trails, canoe launches, picnic areas, scenic areas, nature centers, bathrooms, and parking areas. Not all recreation sites are shown on the Future Land Use Map. Public parks and recreation facilities are not limited to this land use designation. The maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for development within the Recreation land use designation shall not exceed 0.25. Policy 1.33: The Blue Cypress Improvement District (BCID) is a special land use designation that shall be applied to the existing Blue Cypress Fish Camp on the western shore of Blue Cypress Lake. Development within this district shall be limited to single-family and mobile home residential uses and conditioned on the provisions outlined in Ordinance 85-55. The BCID is not intended for expansion to adjacent or otherwise undeveloped property. Densities in the BCID shall not exceed 10 units/acre. Polices: The county zoning code shall contain provisions for a Professional Office District. That district shall be limited to land that is within the medium and low-density residential land use designations and is located along arterial roadways. The purpose of this zoning district shall be to encourage infill development and the redevelopment of blight areas needing redevelopment or revitalization or declining residential areas which are no longer appropriate for strictly single-family use but are not considered appropriate for a broad range of commercial uses, as permitted in other commercial zoning districts. Policy 1.35: Indian River County shall regulate the use of land in proximity to large scale public facilities such as airports and landfills in order to protect the facilities from encroachment by non -compatible uses and protect the public from any potentially hazardous impacts. Polices: The county shall maintain a concurrency database which identifies areas with facility surpluses and deficiencies. Development shall be directed to areas with adequate facility capacity through publication of this information and through implementation of the county's concurrency management system. Policy 1.37: The new town land use designation shall be a floating zone which may be overlaid on any property with an agricultural land use designation (AG -1, AG -2, and AG -3). Each new town designation shall be approved as a Planned Development (PD) and shall meet the requirements of Policy 1.38. The size, density, and design of a new town shall allow for a sustainable new town population with an adequate level of commercial activity, as well as a sufficient greenbelt area. The new town shall be designed to accommodate a build -out population of at least 5,000 persons Future Land Use Element 143 (b) An interconnected pedestrian sidewalk/path system that serves and integrates residential and non-residential uses. (c) Appropriately sized blocks and pedestrian improvements that provide a layout that maximizes residential development in clusters around town centers. Town centers shall include but not be limited to public squares or parks, as well as commercial and residential uses. (d) Wide sidewalks, street trees, and on -street parking in the town center. 5. Integration into Major Street Grid: Each new town project shall have multiple connections to major roads, and extend major roads planned to traverse the rural area in which the project is located. 6. Building Height: Residential structures shall be limited to a maximum height of 35 feet, while nonresidential and mixed use structures shall be limited to a maximum height of 50 feet. For all structures, architectural embellishments may exceed the maximum height limitation by no more than 15 feet. Policy 1.39: The county shall limit the use of the 66-5301.95 acres of C/I designated property located north of SR 60 and west of 981" Avenue to research/technology/industrial uses only. Those uses include research/technology/industrial parks, light manufacturing and assembly facilities, distribution centers, and accessory commercial uses. For that portion of the 665 acre property that lies west of 102nd Avenue, the Floor Area Ratio shall be limited to .30 and development shall be limited to no more than 2% accessory commercial uses and no more than 49% research/technology uses. This policy shall be implemented through Planned Development (PD) zoning and/or Planned Development Plan requirements. In addition, each preliminary PD plan (site plan) for development of the portion of the 665 acre property that lies west of 102nd Avenue shall: • incorporate a stormwater management and flood protection design that mitigates potential adverse impacts of a flood associated with the failure of federal and privately owned levees within the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project; and • include upland edge buffers between industrial development and any adjacent wetland mitigation bank area; and • provide mass transit infrastructure (bus waiting area shelters, benches, accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists and accessibility by persons with disabilities); and • incorporate a traffic circulation design that meets FDOT S.R. 60 access management requirements and provides shared access and interconnections between facilities. On that portion of the 665 acre property lying west of 102nd Avenue, development will be limited to 4.2 million square feet of research, technology, industrial, and accessory commercial uses until I-95 north of S.R. 60 is widened. Future Land Use Element 148 County wide level -of -service standard for Middle Schools of 117.26 building square feet per student station County wide level -of -service standard for High Schools of 147.57 building square feet per student station County wide weighted average level -of -service standard for all schools of 139.07 building square feet per student station g. Transit: The county adopts the following transit level -of -service standard: • One-hour headways shall be maintained on all fixed transit routes. Policy 3.9: Indian River County shall coordinate with private utility providers, including electric, gas, telephone, and cable TV, to ensure that utility services are delivered efficiently. Policy 3.10: The county shall provide infrastructure improvements to existing subdivisions with inadequate infrastructure, such as Vero Lake Estates, Paradise Park, Oslo Park, and Pine Tree Park, through the petition paving program and the utility assessment process. OBJECTIVE 4: EFFICIENT MIX OF USES TO REDUCE TRAFFIC DEMAND AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS By 2030, Indian River County will have a land use pattern that maintains the number of daily automobile trips per capita and the length of trips on county roadways at or within 10% of 2005 levels. Those levels were 4.53 daily automobile trips per capita and 18.94 minutes per trip. Policy 4.1: Land use districts shall be located in a manner which concentrates urban uses, thereby discouraging urban sprawl. Policy 4.2: By January 201-1-8, Indian River County shall identify and map target areas for redevelopment and infill development. Policy 4.3: For the areas targeted for redevelopment and infill development in Future Land Use Element Policy 4.2, Indian River County shall, by 201-29, assess the potential for future development, review infrastructure capabilities and needs, and develop special overlay or use districts and regulations, if warranted. Policy 4.4: By January 204-320 Indian River County shall work with property owners, developers, and the public to develop and implement a plan to promote development of the areas targeted for redevelopment and infill development. That plan shall examine the feasibility of reduced development fees, streamlined application processing, mixed uses, density bonuses, Traditional Neighborhood Design, home/work linkages and other innovative techniques to promote development in those areas. Future Land Use Element 155 • Residential lots created through the PD process shall not be less than 1 acre with the remainder of the area designated as open space; • The open space shall be in contiguous areas; • Common open space, if provided, shall be under the control of an appropriate entity and maintained in perpetuity, through an open space, recreation, conservation and/or agricultural preservation easement(s), to be created through Deed Restrictions, with infill prohibited; • Agricultural PDs shall implement Best Management Practices submitted to and approved by staff, and • All recreational amenities shall be depicted on the PD plan; no recreational uses that could constitute a nuisance to adjacent properties shall be permitted. OBJECTIVE 6: AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION In recognition of the Indian River County's desire to protect agriculture despite the challenges and changes facing the citrus industry, the county's objective is to retain, through 2017, at least 125,000 acres of land in the unincorporated county that is used for active agricultural operations. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's 2007 Census of Agriculture, there were 157,196 acres of land that were used for active agricultural operations that year. Of this land, approximately 139,000 acres are located within the unincorporated area of the county. This objective, by itself, does not justify or suggest a need for Future Land Use Amendments from Agricultural Designations. Policy 6.1: Indian River County shall not provide public services or facilities which would induce or encourage the development of agriculturally designated lands. As such, the county shall not provide water and sewer service outside the urban service area except in the following instances: • To provide for the health and safety of existing residents in a manner consistent with Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Policy 2.4 and Potable Water Sub -Element 2.4; • To serve lots or pet4iens of lets whieh ffent on a publie readway that serves urban serviee boundary, as long as theprovide utility services under limited circumstances +s -consistent with Potable Water Sub -Element Policy 5.7 and Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element Policy 5.8 as amended.; Future Land Use Element 160 • projects which may impact historical and archaeological sites identified on the Florida Master Site File or designated as significant by the Board of County Commissioners. Police: Indian River County shall use incentives such as transfer of development rights, tax relief, mitigation, and public acquisitions; and penalties such as fines and imprisonment, to protect and preserve historically and archaeologically important resources. The following criteria are used to determine the historical significance of a resource: • whether or not the resource is at least 50 years old; • whether or not the resource contains significant character, interest or value as part of the historical, cultural, aesthetic and architectural heritage of the county; • whether or not the resource displays historical, political, cultural, economic, or social trends of community history; • whether or not the resource displays unique and/or distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, design period, construction method, detail, craftsmanship, or material; and • whether or not the resource is a work by a prominent architect, designer, engineer, builder or landscape architect. Police: All public and private development or redevelopment proposals shall be reviewed for their impact upon designated historic resources. Policy 8.4: Public and private development and redevelopment activities shall cease, at least temporarily, if historic or archaeological artifacts are discovered, in order to allow for evaluation of historic significance. Policy 8.5: Indian River County land development regulations shall include provisions for land use management techniques such as Transfer of Development Rights, Tax Relief, Mitigation or Public Acquisition to ensure compliance with the provisions of these policies and to minimize the impact on property owners. Policy 8.6: The county shall periodically update its historic properties survey. In addition to providing a more accurate assessment of the condition of historic properties, such updates will also allow the inclusion of newly -eligible properties. OBJECTIVE 9: PROMOTE AESTHETIC DEVELOPMENT Through the implementation of land development regulations, Indian River County will have aesthetically pleasing buildings, signs, landscaping, parking areas, and roads. Policy 9.1: By January 20129, Indian River County shall establish guidelines to ensure that all new county buildings and facilities will be compatible with the architectural character of the surrounding neighborhood. Future Land Use Element 165 Policy 10.4: Multi -family residential sections of The Moorings that were zoned RM -10 prior to February 13, 1990 shall be allowed to maintain their RM -10 zoning and shall be considered conforming uses within the L-1 designation. These phases include Windward, Southwinds, Harbour Side, The Pointes, River Mews, and South Passage. OBJECTIVE 11: BLIG14TED-AREAS NEEDING REDEVELOPMENT OR REVITALIZATION By 2016, Indian River County will have taken action to encourage redevelopment or revitalization in at least three blighted areas. Policy 11.1: By 20129, Indian River County shall develop guidelines and regulations to designate areas in need of redevelopment or revitalization. Policy 11.2: Within one year of designating a redevelopment or revitalization area, Indian River County shall determine the needs and deficiencies as well as remedies and solutions for that area. Policy 11.3: Indian River County shall enforce the provisions of the PRO, Professional Office zoning district. The purpose of this zoning district shall be to encourage infill development and the redevelopment or revitalization of blighted or deelining residential areas which are no longer appropriate for strictly single-family use but are not considered appropriate for a broad range of commercial uses, as permitted in other commercial zoning districts. Policy 11.4: Indian River County shall encourage the development, redevelopment, revitalization and upgrading of undeveloped and underdeveloped subdivisions through mechanisms such as Block Grant Programs, Municipal Service Tax Units, creative finance and development proposals, zoning, and simplified replatting procedures. Policy 11.5: Indian River County shall maintain a vigorous code enforcement program operating in all areas of the unincorporated county. OBJECTIVE 12: COORDINATED PLANNING All development in Indian River County will be consistent with the resource planning and management activities of the state, and with approved management plans including the Hutchinson Island Management Plan. Policy 12.1: The county acknowledges the application of the Hutchinson Island Resource Planning and Management Plan (HIRPMP) to Indian River County. Past county actions have resulted in development regulations consistent with the HIRPMP. All new development on the unincorporated barrier island will be consistent with the HIRPMP by implementing the policies of this comprehensive plan. Future Land Use Element 168 Polio: As part of the county's periodic Capital Improvements Element evaluation and update process, the impact of new development on hurricane evacuation times and the need for improvements and the timing of improvements to evacuation routes in order to maintain or reduce evacuation times shall be assessed. Policy 12.3: Indian River County shall include within its land development regulations a mechanism to assess the impact of new development on emergency evacuation. OBJECTIVE 13: LOCAL PLANNING By 2015, the County will have a formal coordination mechanism with other federal, state, regional, and local governments and agencies for land use planning activities, provision of facilities and services, and funding and implementation of programs. Policy 13.1: Indian River County shall ensure that land development activities, development orders and permits, rezonings, and comprehensive plan amendments are coordinated, as may be appropriate, with the municipalities of the county, adjacent counties, regional and special districts, and state and federal agencies. Policy 13.2: Indian River County, through coordination with municipalities within the county, shall ensure that future annexation will not create enclave areas. Policy 13.3: By 2014-8, the county shall encourage municipalities to identify potential areas for annexation, develop criteria for annexation decisions, and execute interlocal agreements with the county to formalize these criteria. Policy 13.4: Indian River County shall coordinate with municipalities within the county to amend the proposed interlocal service boundary agreement between the county and municipalities to address annexation issues, maintenance of established level of service standards, extra jurisdictional developmental impacts, upfront coordination on land use amendments and rezonings, and establishment of a dispute resolution process. OBJECTIVE 14: PLAN AMENDMENT AND REVIEW Indian River County will have a mechanism for review and amendment of the comprehensive plan. Policy 14.1: Indian River County shall provide for the amendment of the Comprehensive Plan in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 163, FS. Applications to amend the future land use plan map may be submitted by the owner or the agent for the owner of property proposed for redesignation, by the county planning staff, or by the Board of County Commissioners. Where an individual application is submitted, land development regulations shall provide for payment of an appropriate fee and disclosure of all individuals having an equitable interest in the proposed change. Applications to amend other portions of the comprehensive plan may be Future Land Use Element 169 DRAFT 4-6-16 Indian River County 2030 Comprehensive Plan ...M 0% .% Indian River County Community Development Department Supplement # ; Adopted , 2016, Ordinance 2016- Comprehensive Plan Solid Waste Sub -Element POLICY 4.1: The County shall expand its recycling program by accepting more materials, such as food waste, to be recycled to reduce the volume of waste disposed of in the landfill. POLICY 4.2: By 2022, the SWDD shall re-evaluate of establishing a mandatory solid waste collection system that serves properties within the Count's Urban Service Area. Upon the establishment of mandatory door-to-door garbage collection, the SWDD shall evaluate the need for and the level of service required from the customer convenience centers. POLICY 4.3: The SWDD shall continue to assist the School Board to develop and maintain a course which informs students of the impact of mismanaged solid and hazardous waste as well as the importance and benefits of a recycling program. POLICY 4.4: The County as part of its recycling program shall eliminate open burning in urban areas by maintaining its facility for the recycling of organic waste, including land clearing debris, grass clippings, etc. into compost and mulch. POLICY 4.5: The SWDD, through radio and newspaper advertisements, informational brochures, or through special events, shall provide general public education on the importance and benefit of the recycling program. POLICY 4.6: By 2020, the SWDD shall evaluate the feasibility of the maximum recovery of recyclables from the County garbage stream and their conversion to useful products. POLICY 4.7: By 20 20, the SWDD shall valuate to determine the feasibility of transferring the County's solid waste to another regional facility for disposal of solid waste. Community Development Department Indian River County 29 DRAFT 4-7-16 Indian River County 2030 Comprehensive Plan A ■ Indian River County Community Development Department Adopted: October 12, 2010 Supplement # ; Adopted , 2016, Ordinance 2016-, Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element POLICY 4.1: The county hereby adopts the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan. Implementation of the plan in the unincorporated county will occur through the incorporation of improvements identified in that plan in its TCIP. The plan will be used as a basis for applying for and programming federal enhancement project funds. Funds will be used to program improvements such as the construction of new bicycle and pedestrian lanes and paths, and the retrofit of existing lanes and paths. The implementation schedule will be determined by the priority ranking of each roadway segment as contained in the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan. The following programs shall also be implemented by the county according to the plan: an off-road facilities program, a safety improvement program, and a mode shift program. These programs will be implemented as the funding, right-of-way, or other necessary resources become available. POLICY 4.2: By 2020, the county shall evaluate utility easements, railroad rights-of- way and drainage canal rights-of-way as locations for off road trails. This evaluation will be based upon safety and cost considerations as well as negotiations with appropriate agencies which control these easements and rights-of-way. POLICY 4.3: By 2 Periodically, the roadways to identify hazards to bicyclists. to correct them will be programmed. county will assess all thoroughfare plan Where hazards are identified, improvements POLICY 4.4: The county will use at least $200,000 per year of 1 cent local option sales tax revenue for bike/pedestrian system improvements. POLICY 4.5: The county will continue to apply for c n VETEn LU onhan,.o., en federal non -motorized transportation funds to construct bike/ped improvements. POLICY 4.6: The county will, through its land development regulations, require that all developments fronting on thoroughfare plan roadways provide for construction of bicycle and pedestrian improvements as identified in the MPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan and MPO Greenways Plan. POLICY 4.7: The county will, through its land development regulations, require that internal sidewalks are provided in all residential subdivisions with densities higher than 1 unit per four acres. POLICY 4.8: The county will install bike -ped signals at all new signalized intersections and will install bike racks on its buses. POLICY 4.9: The county will annually consider funding establish a sidewall� r,,.,tehing fun4s program for construction of residential sidewalks in residential areasby hemeowner-s. POLICY 4.10: Where practical and to the extent possible, and where such design is in compliance with the Florida Green Book and County Typical Design Standards, the County will implement "complete streets" principles such as the inclusion of bike lanes Community Development Department Indian River County 130 Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element and sidewalks for new roadways, widening projects and roadway redesigns to address the needs of public transportation vehicles and patrons bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities in planning, programming,design construction and maintenance of County roadways. These principles will be applied to reconstruction and maintenance projects to the extent state or federal statute, economic and environmental considerations and existing development will allow. The County will view all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access and mobility for all travelers and recognizes bicycle,pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system. OBJECTIVE 5 LAND USE COMPATIBILITY Throughout the time horizon of this plan, traffic circulation system will be compatible and compliment adjacent land uses. POLICY 5.1: The county shall design and locate to the extent possible major roadways (i.e. minor and principal arterials) and intersections such as to not adversely affect existing neighborhoods nor produce excessive traffic on local roads through residential areas. The following are some of the characteristics by which the county will determine whether neighborhoods are adversely impacted: severs existing neighborhoods, more traffic other than local traffic using roadways, widening of roadways which results in roadways constructed closer to residential homes, and other similar characteristics. In areas where minor and principal arterial roadways and their intersections adversely affect existing neighborhoods, the county may provide buffers as stated in the above Policy 7.1. The county will also review the feasibility of relocating roadways and intersections and limit the number of roadway connections and accesses. Where appropriate, the county will implement traffic calming improvements. POLICY 5.2: The county shall locate and design roadways to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Where sensitive environmental areas will be impacted by roadway construction, the county will mitigate those impacts by taking action as provided for in the Conservation Element of the plan. POLICY 5.3: The county shall not fund transportation improvements which will allow increased development in coastal high -hazard areas. POLICY 5.4: The county hereby designates as historic and scenic roads the following: ° Jungle Trail ° Old Winter Beach Road ° Fellsmere Grade ° Quay Dock Road ° Gifford Dock Road The county will prepare, adopt, and implement management plans for each of these roads in order to protect and enhance their scenic/historic character. Community Development Department Indian River County 131 DRAFT 4-7-16 Indian River County 2030 Comprehensive Plan Indian River County Community Development Department Adopted: October 12, 2010 Supplement # ; Adopted , 2016, Ordinance 2016-, Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Inventory of Existing Conditions Overall, there are many factors which influence economic development in an area. These range from physical conditions to demographic characteristics, including existing and projected population levels. This section addresses those factors. Geography Climate Indian River County has a humid, subtropical climate. According to the United States Geological Survey, Indian River County's average coastal temperature, as measured at the Vero Beach MunieipalRegional Airport, is 23°C (73.4°F). The temperature further inland, at Fellsmere, is similar. While this average temperature is moderate, the county's afternoon temperatures usually exceed 32°C (90°F) throughout the summer. Freezing temperatures occur occasionally in the coastal areas of the county, but they occur almost annually in the county's inland area. As measured at the Vero Beach airport, the county's mean annual precipitation is 53.4 inches, while the average precipitation inland at Fellsmere is approximately 57 inches. More than 60% of this total annual rainfall occurs during the summer months. Topography Topographically, Indian River County lies in Florida's coastal lowlands. In Indian River County, these lowlands include several ancient marine terraces, each of which was part of the ocean bottom at a time when the Atlantic Ocean stood much higher. The two terraces which comprise Indian River County are the Pamlico Terrace and the Talbot Terrace. The Pamlico Terrace covers the area from the county's coast to the western edge of St. Johns Marsh, a distance of approximately 24 miles. This terrace is comprised of three distinct ridges: an offshore bar, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, and the Ten -mile Ridge. Most of this area is less than 25 feet above sea level. The offshore bar is the current barrier island. This island reaches a maximum height of approximately 20 feet above sea level. West of the island is the Indian River. Further west and located on the present-day mainland is the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. That ridge, which is a remnant of an offshore bar, was formed in the Pamlico Sea and reaches altitudes of more than 50 feet. West of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge is a flat, trough -shaped area that is analogous to the present Indian River. Adjacent to this is the Ten -mile Ridge, which is a less pronounced sand ridge located approximately Community Development Department Indian River County 2 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Education Currently, the School District of Indian River County is a Grade "A" school district. That is the highest letter grade that can be awarded by the state to a school district. The "A" grade was awarded to the County because of exceptional scores district wide on state standardized tests. Overall, the School District's district -wide score for the 2008-09 school year placed the County in 17th place out of Florida's 67 counties (top 25%). Within Indian River County and the surrounding region, there are various universities and technical institutes providing education and research opportunities to county residents and businesses. Several of those higher education institutions offer programs within Indian River County in which students can earn credits toward an associate, bachelor, or masters degree program. Besides primary, secondary, and higher education, the county also has training programs available. These are coordinated and monitored by Wer -I -free Sela`ionsCareerSource Research Coast. In 2006/2007, 48 job training programs, approved by Workforce Solution's Targeted Occupations List, were offered within Indian River County by Indian River State College, the School District of Indian River County, and the Vero Beauty and Massage Institute. These institutions/organizations can specifically tailor training for new and existing businesses in Indian River County based on the businesses' needs. Housing An adequate supply of housing is an important economic development location factor. For both employees and management, adequate housing needs to be available either in the community or nearby. Presently, the county has a mix of affordable single family and multifamily units. Although housing affordability was an issue in the housing boom period of 2002 to 2005, the overbuilding at that time led to a collapse of the housing market and an increase in housing affordability. Housing issues related to Indian River County are addressed in the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Market Relationships/Access to Markets Located along the east coast of Florida, approximately two hours north of the major metropolitan areas of South Florida, Indian River County is approximately thirty minutes north of the Fort Pierce - Port St. Lucie MSA, approximately forty-five minutes south of the Palm Bay -Melbourne -Titusville Metropolitan Area, and approximately one hour and forty-five minutes southeast of the Orlando Metropolitan Area. Community Development Department Indian River County 7 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element the county and the other at State Road (SR) 60 in the central part of the county. While both existing interchanges are important for future industrial growth in Indian River County, a third interchange is planned for the future at Oslo Road in the south part of the county. When this interchange is ultimately constructed, it will provide direct access to a largely undeveloped industrial area of the County. Prior to construction of the Interstate system, U.S. #1 was the historical route connecting the U.S. east coast metropolitan areas. It extends along almost the entire east coast of the U.S. In Indian River County, U.S. #1 runs the full length of the county and connects most of the communities within the county to each other. Extending from Vero Beach in the east portion of the county to Tampa, a major metropolitan area on the west coast of Florida, SR 60 is a major east/west corridor on the Florida, Intrastate Highway system. This route functions as an important east/west connector in the state. In addition, it connects the County to the Florida Turnpike which provides access to markets southward to Miami and northward to Orlando. Recently, SR 60 was expanded from two to four lanes from I-95 to Yeehaw Junction. Currently, the county has sufficient capacity on its road network to accommodate additional growth. Transportation issues related to Indian River County are addressed in the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Within Indian River County, there are tweis one municipal airports.. and one regional airport. These municipal airports areis in Nlef , 13eaeh Sebastian and the regional airport is in Vero Beach. While the Vero BeachRegional Airport accommodates a full range of general aviation aircraft up to corporate jets, and is fully certified by the FAA under Part 139, the Sebastian Municipal Airport accommodates both piston aircraft and small corporate jets. Both Vero Beach and Sebastian Airports provide public services to a large economic base of aviation related businesses. Approximately 38 miles north of Indian River County, Melbourne International Airport is the closest commercial airport with scheduled passenger service to major cities. Community Development Department Indian River County 9 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element family home, depending upon size. Impact fees are also required for various commercial and industrial uses. Library, School, and Park and Recreation impact fees do not apply to nonresidential uses. Currently, five of the county's eight impact fees are suspended to encourage construction and economic development. Water and sewer impact fees are established in a separate ordinance. While water impact fees are $1,300 for each equivalent residential unit, sewer impact fees are $2,796 for each equivalent residential unit. Deposits are also based on equivalent residential units. Within the City of Vero Beach, electric impact fees have historically applied. For residential properties, electric impact fees afewere $550 per dwelling unit. For commercial/industrial properties, electric impact fees started at $550 per unit and increased depending on the estimated electricity demand of the proposed land use. On December 16, 2015, the City of Vero Beach suspended electric impact fees pending approval of the Public Service Commission. If the Public Service Commission does not approve the suspension request, the electric impact fees will be charged retroactively. Economic Development Initiatives • Target Industries Currently, the Board of County Commissioners offers various financial incentives to target industries to encourage those industries to locate to Indian River County or to expand businesses already in the county. The County's target industries list includes manufacturing and other basic industries. Generally, the target industries are businesses that pay wages near or above the county's annual average wage. By targeting industries that pay higher than average wages, the County intends to improve the standard of living and employment opportunities of residents of the for county residents. In 2006, there were 11,188 jobs within the County's targeted industries. Of those target industries, the fastest growing are service industries. While service industries have been growing, only minimal gains have been made in basic/contributory industries (industries that bring money into the local economy by selling their products outside of the county) such as Fabricated Metal Products Manufacturing, Wood Products Manufacturing, Non-metallic Mineral Product Manufacturing, and Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing. Currently, the county offers financial incentives to target industries as follows: Community Development Department Indian River County 26 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element • Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program The Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program, administered through Enterprise Florida, provides a tax refund of up to $8,000 p e eb if the businessl eAed in the County's Ente �e ar up4o--$5,000 per new job if the business is l,.e ted within the Ceunt., but eutside th FnteFpfisea bonus of $2,000 per job if the business falls within a designated high impact sector; $2,500 per job if the project is located in a designated Brownfield area. To be eligible, the business must create at least ten new jobs in any of the state's target industries and pay an average_ annual wage of at least 115 percent of the county's average annual wage. For a manufacturing project paving at least 100 percent of the prevailing average wage; the wage requirement may be waived in special circumstances. Locally, the county provides a 20% match of the total taxes refunded. This program is designed to create high value-added jobs and encourage the growth of corporate headquarters and other targeted high value industries. • Local Jobs Grant Program This program can apply to a company that creates at least five jobs in the county's target industries. The amount of the grant is based on the number of jobs created and the average salary of those jobs. Each grant application is reviewed by the Board of County Commissioners. The County provides $3,000 for each new position created that pays from 75% to 99.99% of the County's average annual wage; $5,000 for each new position created that pays from 100% to 149.99% of the County's average annual wage; and $7,000 for each new position created that pays 150% or more of the County's average annual wage. In addition, a 10% bonus is provided to businesses that locate within the City of Vero Beach/Indian River County Enterprise ZaneArea. • Impact Fee Financing Program An impact fee financing program is another incentive offered by Indian River County to encourage development. This program allows financing of impact fees for businesses listed on the county's target industries list. • Waiving County Utility Deposits Another incentive offered by Indian River County relates to county utility deposits. With this incentive, the county will guarantee county utility (county water and/or sewer) deposits of up to $10,000 for businesses meeting certain requirements. Instead of the business paying the deposit amounts up front, the county will pledge funds that can be drawn upon if necessary. 0 Special Incentives Granted by the Board Of County Commissioners Community Development Department Indian River County 27 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element The Board of County Commissioners has flexibility to grant special incentives on a case by case basis, based on job creation, wage levels and increased property taxes. Incentives could include the purchase or lease of land, infrastructure improvements, payment or financing of county impact fees, or cash incentives. In addition to incentives offered by the Board of County Commissioners, there are incentive programs offered by Workf4ee Solutions CareerSource Research Coast that can be accessed by employers relocating to the county or existing employers within the county that are expanding. Those incentive programs are as follows: o Local Training/Grant Assistance Wer-l(f ree Solutions CareerSource Research Coast will provide on-the-job training tefor employers to offset the costs associated with new hires. The Grant serves as a cost effective way for local employers to hire quality applicants by reimbursing up to 50% of the employee's salary during their training period. o Employed Worker Training Grants T'orkforEe Solutions CareerSource Research Coast will provide grants to reimburse employers for up to 50% of direct training costs to train current employees in new skills that may lead to greater productivity. The employer chooses the training that meets company needs. Grants may be accessed through CareerSource Research Coast. o Recruitment/Assessment Services At no cost, WeFlEforee Solutions CareerSource Research Coast will assist businesses in finding qualified candidates who are trained and equipped with the right skills to fill their positions. Professional Recruiters efficiently recruit, screen and refer only qualified applicants to open positions. Indian River County/City of Vero Beach Enterprise AreaZone In 2005, Indian River County and the City of Vero Beaeh jainfly established an Enterprise Zene within the Gifferd Community (see—map)--In 2005 the Florida Legislature approved a joint application from Indian River County and the City of Vero Beach to establish an Enterprise Zone (EZ). The EZ encompassed properties in and around the Vero Beach Regional Airport and the adjacent Gifford community. An Enterprise Zone +was an area designation approved by the state to encourage new economic growth and investment in distressed areas. The state accomplishesd this in Community Development Department Indian River County 28 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element part by providing tax incentives to residents and businesses within Enterprise Zones. -The 2015 Ley,islature did not reauthorize the program, and the Enterprise Zone program expired 12/31/15.T -hose tw ineeiitives ifielu'�: Although the state rl o rg am expired at the end of 2015, the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) determined that it is important for the County to continue to provide a special economic development incentive in the former Enterprise Zone area, consistent with the Gifford Neighborhood Plan Policy that supports such an incentive in the Gifford area. On January 12, 2016, the BCC approved a resolution to continue to offer a 10% Weal bonus to tafget indu4Fimes to eligible target industry companies apple for a local jobs grant locating within the newly re -labeled "Enterprise Area". The "Enterprise Area" encompasses the same geographic area of the former Enterprise Zone. Indian River County/City of Vero Beach Enterprise Area NS, 53RD ST y,� W E4 53RD ST 7j t 7i 7 48TH ST C� INDIAN RIVER ° SHORES m 45TH ST 1 G N 43RD ST — —43RD ST— S' 41ST•ST 9 <La 3TTH ST `— 37TH 3T 2 ai �p K —33RosT VERO BEACH SEAC"LAND BLVD 28TH ST 26TH ST��1 Legend NSw e��O North S Main Relief Canals At4A Major Streets 20TH ST—< g yp 8T wgL� Municipal Boundaries At oQ Ernerpnse Area Boundary tM1 17TH ST— ® Parcels abutting 2 -lane street segments are within Enterprise Zone as shown Source: IRC Community Development Department Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Florida's Research Coast Economic Development Coalition In the lute -19-99'1998, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the primary economic development organizationsE( DOs) in Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River Counties to coordinate economic development efforts as a region That r, e fflO ., ndti r .di g-MOU set the foundation for r,r,,.4in County, St Lueie Getinty, and indi ,n River CE)Hnthese primary EDOs and the President/CEO of CareerSource Research Coast to form the "Florida Research Coast Economic Development Coalition" to better promote the economic development objectives of the three four counties. Currently, the Business Development Board of Martin County, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, the Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce, and CareerSource Research Coast are sharing resources to promote/e the d+reefour counties as a cohesive region. The research coast initiative is building upon recent efforts of all t#reefour counties and Wefkferee Solutions CareerSource Research Coast -to recruit companies involved with the Life Science Industries along with other targeted industries. lH faet, sevefal life seienee eempanies have already laeated to St. Lueie County. .. EMU WAT&WATATAIMMMETUM ,. IN �� •� • ,. _UN Florida's Research Coast Economic Development Coalition In the lute -19-99'1998, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the primary economic development organizationsE( DOs) in Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River Counties to coordinate economic development efforts as a region That r, e fflO ., ndti r .di g-MOU set the foundation for r,r,,.4in County, St Lueie Getinty, and indi ,n River CE)Hnthese primary EDOs and the President/CEO of CareerSource Research Coast to form the "Florida Research Coast Economic Development Coalition" to better promote the economic development objectives of the three four counties. Currently, the Business Development Board of Martin County, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, the Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce, and CareerSource Research Coast are sharing resources to promote/e the d+reefour counties as a cohesive region. The research coast initiative is building upon recent efforts of all t#reefour counties and Wefkferee Solutions CareerSource Research Coast -to recruit companies involved with the Life Science Industries along with other targeted industries. lH faet, sevefal life seienee eempanies have already laeated to St. Lueie County. .. EMU WAT&WATATAIMMMETUM ,. IN Community Development Department Indian River County 30 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Identification of the County's Constraints and Potentials As with any area, Indian River County has economic development constraints and economic development potentials. Generally, a constraint is a defined characteristic of an area that in some way hinders economic development. Conversely, a potential is a characteristic that supports or encourages economic development. Focusing on the constraints and potentials provides a foundation for the development of objectives and policies relating to economic development. Central to a community's ability to attract industry and enhance economic development is the perception that outside firms have of that community. According to "An Economic Development Toolbox: Strategies and Methods", published by the American Planning Association and written by Terry Morre, Stuart Mech and James Ebenhoh, companies consider a number of criteria when deciding to locate to a community. Those criteria include: ■ Access to , quality of, quantity of, and cost of needed resources and supplies; ■ Availability of development ready land and/or buildings (appropriately zoned and supplied with utilities and services); ■ Cost and productivity of labor (one of the most important factors); ■ Location relative to supplies and markets (less important for knowledge based industries such as the software development industry); ■ Availability of public and private infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, airports, cargo facilities, energy systems, and telecommunications); ■ Presence of and existing business cluster (available labor pool and access to suppliers that service the cluster); ■ Amenities and other quality of life factors (good schools, clean environment, affordable and appropriate housing, and diverse and exciting culture); and ■ Government policies (regulations, taxes, and incentives). In Indian River County, economic development constraints and potentials can affect each of the factors listed. Therefore, identifying constraints and potentials will allow the county to improve the perception that outside firms develop of Indian River County. Generally, the county's economic development constraints and potentials range from the county's geography to its infrastructure. Community Development Department Indian River County 31 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element As Indian River County's population increases, the local consumer base expands and that creates economic opportunities for new business establishments to locate in Indian River County. These new business establishments produce more activity and enhance the area's economy. Education Within the region, there are various colleges, universities, and technical institutes that provide education and research opportunities to county residents and businesses. Several of these higher education institutions offer programs within Indian River County in which students can earn credits toward an associates, bachelors, or masters degree. In fact, institutions of higher learning, such as Indian River State College and Florida Atlantic University, are now offering classes and degrees in fields that are at the forefront of technology and other similar fields. These education opportunities are economic potentials in that they can improve the quality of Indian River County's labor force. Another economic development potential is the excellent primary and secondary school system in the county. That system provides a high quality education and an above national performance ranking. Additionally, Indian River State College and the Indian River County School District provide adult educational classes and occupational training for county residents. Recently, Indian River State College expanded its Mueller Center campus and is planning to add additional campus entrances and buildings/facilities. Those new educational facilities and future planned expansions will have a positive impact on the local economy. In order to be competitive in a global market, the county must continuously evaluate its education offerings and seek to improve upon them. Going forward, the county should coordinate with the school district, charter schools, and private schools to ensure that they are providing a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In addition, the County should coordinate with Warikfaree Solutions CareerSource Research Coast and the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce to regularly identify unmet educational needs for targeted industries and work with education providers to ensure that those needs are met. Housing For economic development to occur, an area must have an adequate stock of affordable housing. During the recent housing boom, however, the county did not have a sufficient supply of affordable housing. That situation, however, has now changed. Currently, there is an excess amount of housing within the county. That excess is due to overbuilding associated with the housing boom between approximately 2003 and 2006. As a result, there is a significant number of affordable residential rental units and affordable homes for purchase in the county. On the other hand, the collapse of the housing market has made it difficult for people Community Development Department Indian River County 34 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Going forward, the County should continue to monitor target industries in the County and surrounding counties. Based on that monitoring, the County should prepare an annual target industry report that should be provided to the Indian River County Economic Development Council and to the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Division. Incentives In the future, the economic development incentives offered by the county may help attract sere new businesses and encourage the expansion of existing businesses. Generally, economic development incentives indicate that an area is receptive to economic growth and development. Going forward, the county should continue to evaluate its economic incentives on an annual basis and update them as necessary to retain existing target industries and to attract new target industries. One such update to the County's target industry incentives that the Count), should pursue is the establishment efftH eeenofnie development tax abatement pfogram. This type of ineenfive is available from neafby V LJI lm Ufl�IIVJ ries that T[l e in a ~ eet etifi with the Co 4Yis the economic development ad valorem 1 tax exemption (tax abatement) program. Residents approved the use of this program via referendum in 2010. The County's tax abatement ordinance authorizes the BCC, at its sole discretion, to grant qualifying businesses an exemption from certain ad valorem taxes (property taxes,) for a period of up to 10 years. Those taxes abated are associated with the General Fund, the Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU), and the Emergency Services District Fund. No other taxes, such as School District taxes or taxes levied for the payment of bonds, are affected by tax abatement. Indian River County/City of Vero Beach Enterprise AreaZooe Recently, development has occurred within older platted industrial areas and within relatively new industrial/business parks. As part of their Capital Improvement Programs, the County and City of Vero Beach should coordinate public infrastructure improvements within the Enterprise ZeneArea so that there is adequate access, water, and sewer to serve vacant developable commercial/industrial lots. The County and City should also continue to work together with the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce to market the Enterprise ' Area's benefits local jobs grant bonus incentive and available sites to prospective industries. Florida's Research Coast Economic Development Coalition Because the County is competing in an increasingly competitive global environment, it is important that the County participate in or otherwise establish regional partnerships with surrounding jurisdictions, schools, and organizations to work cooperatively toward common economic goals. Those regional partnerships are necessary because most industries do not look at jurisdictional boundaries when considering relocating or establishing a new facility. Instead, industries look at entire regions and the amenities that exist or will exist within those regions. Community Development Department Indian River County 42 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Summary To improve the standard of living for residents, the County should continue to strengthen and diversify its employment base so that the local economy is not primarily reliant upon low paying service oriented industries. To do so, the County should maintain a multifaceted approach to economic development. This should include: ■ Refining the County's existing targeted industry list to be consistent with the State's target industry list, which includes the aviation, aerospace, life sciences (biotech), and specialty health care industries; ■ Providing infrastructure to accommodate a growing population base and to accommodate the needs of targeted industries; ■ Facilitating the development of large lot industrial parks; ■ Providing appropriately zoned land for development by target industries; ■ Continuing regional cooperation as part of the "Florida's Research Coast Economic Development Coalition Initiative"; ■ Promoting the assets of the County to CEOs and CFOs of targeted industries; ■ Recognizing the decline in the citrus industry and the need to identify new farm uses for export; ■ Maintaining appropriate economic incentives for key manufacturing and target industries (financial incentives, expedited permitting, etc.); ■ Marketing the County for tourism; ■ Preserving environmental and cultural assets of the community; and ■ Identifying and stopping any remaining service industry leakages. Community Development Department Indian River County 43 Mil MM Summary To improve the standard of living for residents, the County should continue to strengthen and diversify its employment base so that the local economy is not primarily reliant upon low paying service oriented industries. To do so, the County should maintain a multifaceted approach to economic development. This should include: ■ Refining the County's existing targeted industry list to be consistent with the State's target industry list, which includes the aviation, aerospace, life sciences (biotech), and specialty health care industries; ■ Providing infrastructure to accommodate a growing population base and to accommodate the needs of targeted industries; ■ Facilitating the development of large lot industrial parks; ■ Providing appropriately zoned land for development by target industries; ■ Continuing regional cooperation as part of the "Florida's Research Coast Economic Development Coalition Initiative"; ■ Promoting the assets of the County to CEOs and CFOs of targeted industries; ■ Recognizing the decline in the citrus industry and the need to identify new farm uses for export; ■ Maintaining appropriate economic incentives for key manufacturing and target industries (financial incentives, expedited permitting, etc.); ■ Marketing the County for tourism; ■ Preserving environmental and cultural assets of the community; and ■ Identifying and stopping any remaining service industry leakages. Community Development Department Indian River County 43 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element OBJECTIVE 2: Diversified Economic Growth Between 2010 and 204-520, Indian River County will increase the number of jobs in the county's new high wage target industries by 1,000. Policy 2.1: The County shall focus its industrial/business/technology/research expansion efforts on attracting and expanding clean, small-scale light manufacturing and assembly industries and those industries identified in County target industry studies, as applicable. Policy 2.2: The county shall encourage the expansion of existing industries and attraction of new industries that are within the target industries list (Policy 2.5) by offering the following county adopted economic development incentives and assistance: ➢ Local Jobs Grant Program; ➢ Traffic, Water, and Sewer Impact Fee Financing; ➢ Utility Deposit Waivers; ➢ Expedited permitting; ➢ Maintenance of sufficient infrastructure capacity (roads, water, sewer); ➢ Provision of Industrial Revenue Bonds; ➢ Provision of job training through Indian River State College; ➢ Provision of workforce training incentives from the Wer-kfar-ee Developffient Board of Treasure Coast (DBA Werkferee Saltifietis CareerSource Research Coast; ➢ Assistance with federal or state grant applications (such as Community Development Block Grants); ➢ State Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program; and Zone.-�O- Tax Refunds and Tax Credits within the Enterprise Policy 2.3: The county planning division shall track the number of jobs in target industries annually and provide a report to the EDC. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the total number of jobs by NAICS target industry category, the average wage by each NAICS target industry category, the percent and numeric change from the prior year for both the total jobs and their average annual wages. Annual data shall be provided for multiple years. Policy 2.4: The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and other economic development groups designated by the Board of County Commissioners shall provide assistance, as needed, to companies during the relocation process and report any actions taken to the Economic Development Council at their regular meetings. Policy 2.5: The county, in coordination with the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, shall establish a list of target industries and evaluate this list periodically in order to reflect the current economic needs of the county as well as the actual marketing results.The Below, Community Development Department Indian River County 46 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element is the list of the county's target industry clusters:. For marketing purposes, the County, Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and other economic development agencies representing the County may use their resources to market to a much smaller list based on the results of target industry studies market research, and expert advice. Clean Energy industry including but not limited to: • Solar Energy • Biomass Energy/Biofuels • Fuel Cells and Hydrogen • Ocean Energy Life Sciences industry including but not limited to: • Biotechnology • Medical Device Manufacturing • Pharmaceuticals • Health Care Information Technology industry including but not limited to: • IT Products/Services • Software Development • Modeling/Simulation/Training • Photonics/Lasers/Optics • Microelectronics • Telecommunications Aviation/Aerospace industry including but not limited to: • Aviation • Avionics • Flight Schools Financial / Professional Services including but not limited to: • Corporate/Regional Headquarters • Research and Development Manufacturing/Warehouse/Distribution Emerging Technologies including but not limited to: • Materials Science • Nanotechnology • Marine Science Community Development Department Indian River County 47 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Arts, Entertainment, Recreation including but not limited to: • Sports Facilities • Film Locations Post Secondary Public and Private Educational Institutions Other clean light industries that have average annual wages that support an innovation economy. To be eligible for local economic incentives, an industry must meet the target industry criteria established by the state with a focus on those industries that export the majority of products and services outside of Indian River County (as opposed to strictly areas outside of Florida). Currently, the target industry criteria are listed in Section 288.106(1)(0), Florida Statutes. Policy 2.6: The County shall provide for the issuance of Industrial Development Bonds for new industries. Policy 2.7: The Economic Development Division of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and other economic development groups designated by the Board of County Commissioners shall assist in providing entrepreneurial and management expertise and a well-trained, skilled, and educated workforce to industries that are within the target industries list (Policy 2.5). Policy 2.8: The County, in cooperation with the Vero Beach Regional Airport, the Sebastian Municipal Airport, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development Division, shall actively market airport industrial lots and space and coordinate its marketing plans with the airport's marketing plans. Policy 2.9: The County, through the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development Division, shall identify and increase investments needed to enhance a competitive advantage. Policy 2.10: The County, through the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development Division, shall facilitate interactions between venture capitalists, lawyers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and financiers for new product development and new target industries within the county. Polices: The County shall request Federal and State agencies to expedite permit processing for target industries and to eliminate duplication and streamline permit processing. This shall include submission of letters and e-mails and phone calls to appropriate Federal and State agencies requesting expedited permitting and follow-up communications with these agencies. Policy 2.12: The County building division shall provide weekend inspection services at cost, based on employee availability and the commercial/industrial tenant's need. Community Development Department Indian River County 48 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element Policy 2.13: The County shall anfitia4�-periodically re-evaluate its economic development incentives by comparing its incentives with incentives offered by other jurisdictions. Policy 2.14: The County shall periodically compare its impact fees an an annual basis to other counties in the state to determine if County impact fees are competitive for new commercial/industrial development. Policy 2.15: The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and other economic development groups designated by the Board of County Commissioners shall develop and provide a community information package for new employees and employers relocating to Indian River County. Policy 2.16: The County, through its Local Housing Assistance Program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and other housing programs, shall continue to provide workforce housing in the county. Policy 2.17: The County will initiate and support a -voter referendums to establish and maintain an Indian River County economic development tax abatement program. OBJECTIVE 3: Maintain Trained Labor Force Through the plan time horizon, there will be sufficient post secondary (college and technical schools) training programs that meet the needs of the county's target industries. Policy 3.1: The County, in conjunction with the War-kfaree Development Boafd of the T ..si Coast (DBA Werl&ree Solutions) CareerSource Research Coast and the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce will survey target industries to determine if educational needs are being met (see policy 1.2). Policy 3.2: The County shall contact four-year colleges, universities, and other training providers to determine the probability of a branch campus or research facility being established in Indian River County. In so doing, the County shall note that it has the ability to offset impact fees for target industries, including these institutions. Policy 3.3: The County shall support the expansion of the local branch of Indian River State College (IRSC) by providing assistance during the permitting process. Policy 3.4: The County, through the school district, shall continue to offer adult education classes and occupational training for county residents. Policy 3.5: The County, through the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and other Community Development Department Indian River County 49 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element economic development groups, shall promote expansion of occupational education programs in the county by demonstrating to the educational institutions a definitive local demand for expanded programs. Policy 3.6: The County, through the school district, charter schools, and private schools, shall focus on enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum in K-12 schools. OBJECTIVE 4: Facilitate Economic Development By 204-525, the county and municipalities within the County shall have at least two additional established industrial/business/technology/research parks (for a total of 4 parks) with sufficient land and adequate infrastructure to accommodate new or expanding businesses. At least one of these parks should be developed for Biotech/research/technology industries. Policy 4.1: By-29I0;41he County shall establishmaintain an Indian River County Consortium for Life Science Research and Technology Advancement with appropriate local governments, employment agencies, institutions of higher education and other applicable entities, whose mission shall be to: 1. Promote and support the growth of existing key and emerging economic sectors; and 2. Provide legislative and governmental policies to support economic development; and 3. Make available physical infrastructure to support development, manufacturing, and commercialization of products; and 4. Provide and support emerging technologies; and 5. Leverage the county's current K-12 schools with a focus on enhancing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics related foundation for education; and 6. Create a profusion of higher education opportunities within the targeted sectors to enhance our competitive opportunities; and 7. Provide entrepreneurial, management expertise, a well trained, skilled, educated workforce; and S. Foster a synergy and interaction of venture capital, legal, scientists, entrepreneurs, and financers to create product development; and 9. Identify and increase investments needed to enhance a competitive advantage; and 10. Provide the awareness, advocacy, and expressed will of stakeholders to support economic development. Community Development Department Indian River County 50 Nam P.4 Community Development Department Indian River County 50 Comprehensive Plan _ Economic Development Element Policy 4.32: The County shall maintain its policies, regulations, information, and application forms on the county website. Policy 4.43: The County shall continue to maintain its database of capacity and demand information for all concurrency related services and facilities. The county will use this database to program capital improvements to ensure that all services and facilities have adequate capacity to accommodate projected growth and development. Policy 4.54: The County, through its Planned Development process and PD zoning, shall allow industrial/business/technology/research park developers and the county to designate the type of uses appropriate for applicable new industrial/business/technology/research parks. Polices: Through the time horizon of the plan, the county shall designate sufficient land on its Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map for future commercial/industrial uses and shall provide infrastructure (potable water and roads, and to the extent feasible sanitary sewer) for these lands to facilitate development of industrial/business/technology/research parks within the county. Policy 4.76: The County shall assist private industrial/business/technology/research park developers to establish industrial/business/research/technology parks at the SR 60/1-95, CR 512/I-95, and Oslo Road/741h Ave. commercial/industrial nodes, and at other appropriate locations within the county. Assistance will include providing pre -application meetings to determine needs and requirements of potential industrial/business/technology/research park developers, expediting the permitting process, assisting with appropriate grant applications, and providing information pertaining to available incentives. Policy 4.57: The County shall, as needed or as part of the Evaluation and Appraisal Report, re- evaluate the size and location of its commercial/industrial nodes. The Commercial/Industrial Data Source document shall be posted on the County's website. This document consists of planning, zoning, and land use information helpful to businesses desiring to relocate. Policy 4.98: The County shall be pro -active in assisting commercial and industrial developers through pre -application meetings and Technical Review Committee meetings, by reviewing procedures, identifying needed permits, and providing information and providing feedback to applicants to expedite the permitting process. The county shall also assist applicants by providing information on non -county required permits or reviews and provide contact information. OBJECTIVE 5: Intergovernmental Coordination By 2011, there will be an adopted Interlocal agreement between the County and the municipalities that provides for coordinated economic development funding and economic development activities. Community Development Department Indian River County 51 Comprehensive Plan Economic Development Element 6.4 Maintain and/or improve county characteristics PD Ongoing No 7.1 Provide speakers to educate private citizens regarding EDD/PD Ongoing No economic development 7.2 Maintain and increase funding for economic development EDD Ongoing No BCC = Board of County Commissioners COC = Indian River County Chamber of Commerce CVB = City of Vero Beach EDC = Economic Development Council EDD = Economic Development Division of Chamber of Commerce PD — County Planning Department IRCC = Indian River Community College PUD = Purchasing Division OMB = Budget Office TDD = Tourism Division of Chamber of Commerce As designated by the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners, the Economic Development Division (EDD) of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce functions as the official economic development agency for the county and is recognized as such by Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) the state's economic development agency. Therefore, marketing activities identified in the Economic Development Element are the responsibility of the EDD. The EDD has developed promotional materials designed to attract prospective companies that are relocating or expanding operations and maintains a strong business retention program. Reeenfly, the EDD The EDD continues to focus its efforts on developing stronger relationships with site location consultants. Site location consultants represent firms that are actively searching for new locations to accommodate an expansion or relocation of their operations. These professionals also provide valuable insight into the site selection process and can offer communities advice on promoting an area for business attraction. ^ familiarization tour as een l_, eend eted i g -Familiarization tours, or FAM tours, are conducted, where the EDD invites a group of consultants to visit Indian River County to see the benefits our area offers their prospective clients. Prior to a comDanv executive or the site location consultant schedulinv a site visit to Indian River County, the EDD submits a detailed proposal to the company or consultant outlining the properties or buildinus that may meet their nroiect needs, alone with other attributes that could benefit the prospective company's operations. During the site visit, the EDD meets with the prospective company or its representative to determine which sites in Indian River County that were previously su _egg_sted are most suitable and to discuss incentive programs that could be available to the company. EDD walks the prospective company through the local site location process and facilitates the incentive application process once eligibility is determined. The company's due diligence process in evaluating all sites under consideration often takes months. EDD has assisted severalnumerous local businesses in securing incentives and training grants which enabled them to expand their local operations thus creating jobs for local residents. The EDD has developed material, such as the promotional thumb drive, the Enterprise Zone breeh r -e and revisoa ineentives breehur-epromotional videos, and revamped its website, offering information needed to assist businesses in making their relocation and expansion decisions. Community Development Department Indian River County 56 DRAFT 4-7-16 Indian River County 2030 Comprehensive Plan 0%1 M i w Indian River County Community Development Department Adopted: October 12, 2010 Supplement # ; Adopted , 2016, Ordinance 2016- Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES As with all elements of the comprehensive plan, goals, objectives and policies are the basis of the Recreation Open Space Element. Not only do they establish the county's direction for recreation and open space; but goals, objectives and policies also set community expectations for recreation and open space and courses of action which the county will pursue to meet those expectations. GOAL: It is the goal of Indian River County to provide a recreation and open space system which meets the needs of all residents of the county, is accessible to all residents of the county, and maximizes the county's physical, cultural and historical resources. OBJECTIVE 1: Adequate Parklands and Recreation Facilities Through 2030, adopted recreation levels -of -service will be maintained to ensure that adequate parklands and recreation facilities are available and accessible for public use. POLICY 1.1: The county hereby adopts a recreation level -of -service standard of 6.61 recreation acres per 1,000 permanent population plus weighted seasonal population POLICY 1.2: For level -of service purposes, the county shall measure parkland acres per 1000 population by summing the total county owned park acreage and dividing by the current estimate of unincorporated county permanent population, plus weighted seasonal population. POLICY 1.3: The county shall maintain its concurrency management system, which allows proposed developments only if there is sufficient parkland to serve the proposed development. POLICY 1.4: The county hereby adopts the facility standards identified in Table 10.1 as guidelines to be used in developing parklands. POLICY 1.5: By 2018, the county shall complete a needs analysis of its recreation services. This analysis will include an assessment of the type of parks and facilities needed in Indian River County, the quantity of facilities needed, the location where those facilities are needed, the current use of facilities, and a comparison of county needs to national standards for recreation services, and unique local conditions relevant to recreation services. POLICY 1.6: By 20168, the Recreation Department shall evaluate the existing user fee structure and include full cost recovery for adult programs. POLICY 1.7: By 20167, the Recreation Department shall revise its fee structure for county recreational programs and reservation of county park facilities to include a surcharge for out of county residents. Community Development Department Indian River County 46 Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element POLICY 1.8: By 20128, the Recreation Department shall evaluate the current per capita expenditure in the north and south areas (with S.R. 60 as a dividing line) and utilize the collected data to guide placement of needed park facilities in each area. POLICY 1.9: By 201-58, the Recreation Department shall evaluate new funding options, including privatization and partnerships. POLICY 1.10: By_201-57 the Recreation Department shall evaluate new revenue opportunities such as facility naming rights, beach and park concessions, and others. POLICY 1.11: By 20168, the Recreation Department shall evaluate the feasibility of creating a foundation to develop and receive donations for parks capital and infrastructure needs. POLICY 1.12: The county shall continue to charge park and recreation impact fees to fund a portion of the park system's capital budget needs. POLICY 1.13: The Recreation Department shall continue to apply user fees for those facilities and programs where the benefit is quantifiable and where the fee can be effectively implemented. POLICY 1.14: The county shall, as part of its user fee program, develop a method to subsidize recreation user fees for low income residents so that there will be minimal effects of user fees on participation at sites or programs. POLICY 1.15: The county shall identify state and federal recreation grant programs. When applicable, the county shall apply for available grant funds, for recreation facility or program funding. POLICY 1.16: The county shall maintain land development regulations that require certain planned residential development projects to provide recreation areas and facilities that meet the county's recreation level -of -service standards. OBJECTIVE 2: Parklands in the South District By 2020, the county will have 461 acres of parkland south of S.R. 60. POLICY 2.1: By 201-58, the county will, based on funding availability, complete remaining improvements identified in the South County Regional Park Master Plan. POLICY 2.2: The county shall, based on funding availability, include active recreation facilities such as baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, jogging trails, swimming pools and others in its future south county parks if those facilities are consistent with the 2012 updated south county regional park master plan. Community Development Department Indian River County 47 Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element POLICY 2.3: The county shall give parkland acquisition priority to the area south of SR 60, west of 43rd Avenue. OBJECTIVE 3: Parkland Development By 2020, the county will have developed at least 65 percent of its currently undeveloped existing park acreage. POLICY 3.1: By 2020, the county shall complete phase II of the Treasure Shores Park. POLICY 3.2: By 201-58, the county shall develop anew master plan for the fairgrounds, indicating needed facilities and necessary structures. POLICY 3.3: The county shall add facilities to existing parks having undeveloped area. Some parkland will remain undeveloped for a variety of reasons, including environmental, regulatory, and aesthetics. POLICY 3.4: By 201-58, the Recreation Department shall update the North County Regional Park and the South County Regional Park Master Plans. OBJECTIVE 4: Access to Parklands and Recreation Facilities Throughout the time horizon of the plan, all new parks and recreational facilities will be located near population centers and will be handicap accessible. POLICY 4.1: The county shall continue to design all new parks and recreational facilities to provide barrier -free access. POLICY 4.2: The county shall locate new park facilities in close proximity to the population to be served based upon service radius for different park types. POLICY 4.3: The county shall provide vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access consistent with the Bikeway/Sidewalk Development Plan to all county owned parks in conjunction with park development. OBJECTIVE 5: Access to Natural Resources Through the time horizon of the plan, the current 57 access points to the county's major water resources, including the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon, St. Sebastian River, and freshwater lakes, will be maintained. Community Development Department Indian River County 48 Comprehensive Plan Recreation and Open Space Element POLICY 5.1: The county shall use beachfront and riverfront lands that have been acquired through the county's Environmental Lands Acquisition Program for public access to the county's major natural water resources. POLICY 5.2: The county hereby designates the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Sebastian River, and associated coastal resources as a greenway (a.k.a. "blueway") and waterway trail system. Consistent with Policy 8.1 of the Coastal Management Element, Indian River County will participate in the Indian River Lagoon "Blueway" Florida Forever (f.k.a. "Conservation and Recreation Lands") project to acquire and provide passive recreational access to coastal resources bordering the Indian River Lagoon by providing local funding assistance, and by providing "in-kind" services, such as identifying environmentally -sensitive parcels. OBJECTIVE 6: Recreation ProErams Through the time horizon of the plan, at least 142 recreation programs per year will be provided. POLICY 6.1: The county shall provide supervised recreation activities at all appropriate park sites. POLICY 6.2: The county may allow private leisure and recreation groups to use park areas for recreation programs and activities provided that the following conditions are met: ➢ The area of the park to be used must not currently be in use by the general public or designated for future use on the park master plan; ➢ A lease specifying duration of use, characteristics of use, insurance requirements, and other applicable conditions must be executed by the Board of County Commissioners; ➢ A site plan or temporary use permit must be approved by the planning department; ➢ Any improvements made to the leased site must be done and paid for by the lessee with the improvements conveying to the county when the lease expires. POLICY 6.3: By 20148, the Recreation Department shall conduct a survey to determine the demand for existing recreational programs and to prioritize demand for new programs. POLICY 6.4: The Recreation Department shall annually identify CORE recreation programs, and services as part of its annual budget request. POLICY 6.5: By 201-58, the Recreation Department shall establish an automated recreational program system which allows users to reserve park facilities or to sign up for recreation programs online. Community Development Department Indian River County 49