Amending the Comprehensive Plan

Why Amend the Comprehensive Plan?

Comprehensive Plans are generally amended for the following reasons:

  • A land owner desires to develop in a manner inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
  • The Evaluation & Appraisal Report EAR has generated a need for an amendment.
  • The Legislature has imposed a new planning requirement on local governments, resulting in a need for a plan amendment.

Who Can Request a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA)?

CPAs for parcels of real property within Osceola County may be initiated by property owners or by agents of property owners by written consent.

CPAs not associated with specific parcels, which may include textual changes to a comprehensive plan element or where a change stands to affect large areas of the county, may be initiated by any interested party. Any type of text amendment may also be initiated by the Planning Commission, Board of County Commissioners or County staff.

To obtain County support, the applicant should demonstrate that the proposed comprehensive plan amendment CPA is consistent with the 2040 Osceola County Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive plan amendment applications are decided by the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners upon recommendation by the Planning Commission and upon subsequent review by the Florida Department of Community Affairs Stand Land Planning Agency. Some applications may also require a rezoning, which can be processed concurrently with a CPA request.

What is the Difference Between Future Land Use (FLU) and Zoning?

Future Land Use FLU designations indicate the intended use and development density for a particular area, while zoning districts specifically define allowable uses and contain the design and development guidelines for those intended uses. The FLU designations were adopted by the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners on December 10, 2019, and May 6, 2019, as part of the Osceola County Comprehensive Plan.

The Future Land Use Element allows for various zoning districts within a given Future Land Use designation. The appropriate zoning shall be determined based on a number of criteria identified within the Osceola County Land Development Code (LDC).

How to Determine a Property’s Future Land Use Designation

A property’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designation can be obtained from either the Osceola County Planning & Zoning Office at (407) 742-0200 or our online GIS service at maps.osceola.org

If needed, a letter confirming a property’s future land use and zoning designations can be requested; $100 for a General Letter and starting at $230 for a Detailed Letter. The property’s tax parcel identification number PIN or address must be provided to determine the FLUM designation. The tax parcel identification number can be obtained from the Osceola County Property Appraiser’s Office, which can be obtained by calling (407) 742-5000 or visiting the Property Search website.

What Are the Types of CPAs?

Small Scale

Any change in the future land use map that involves land areas of 50 acres or less. Other statutory provisions may limit an owner’s ability to apply for small-scale amendments, as defined by Section 163.3187, Florida Statutes.

Small-scale amendments require one public hearing before the Planning Commission and one public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners, which will be an adoption hearing. All other CPAs are deemed to be large-scale amendments.

Large Scale

Any change in the text of the 2040 Osceola County Comprehensive Plan OR any change in the future land use map that is not deemed a small-scale amendment. Large-scale amendments require one public hearing before the Planning Commission and at least two public hearings (transmittal and adoption) before the Board of County Commissioners.

Amendment Schedule

Biannual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Rounds

Round Application Deadline DRC PC Hearing BCC Transmittal BCC Adoption
A November 30 Monthly May May August/September
B June 30 Monthly December December March/April

Notes

DRC

  • Applications must be found sufficient by staff before proceeding forward to the Development Review Committee (DRC). All DRC comments must be addressed before the application will be scheduled for hearing.
  • DRC meets on the first and third Wednesdays.

PC Hearing

  • Planning Commission (PC) meets on the first Thursday.

BCC Transmittal

  • Board of County Commissioners (BCC) evening meeting on the third Monday.
  • Small Scale Amendment Adoption dates.

BCC Adoption

  • BCC meets the first, second, and third Mondays.

Amendment Process Map

Download Amendment Process Map(PDF, 259KB)

Large Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) Process flowchart. The process moves in the following order: Pre-application meeting, submit CPA application, staff reviews application, Development Review Committee (DRC) meeting, a Community meeting is held (determined at DRC), Planning Commission (PC) hearing (approximately 8 weeks from application), Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Transmittal hearing (approximately 3 weeks from PC meeting), Transmittal to Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other State Agencies for Review (within 10 days), review and comments by DEO and other State Agencies (30 days from receiving), Board of County Commissioners Adoption Hearing (effective 31 days after adoption), CPA Effective 31 days after adoption package is deemed complete by DEO. Total time is approximately 6 months.

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