City staff outlines 2045 horizon and statutorily required changes for comprehensive plan update

The city presented a draft Evaluation and Appraisal Review (EAR) of Orange City's Comprehensive Plan on Oct. 14 and outlined a timeline to bring proposed amendments to planning and council hearings in November. Joe Ruiz, Development Services Director, said the EAR is a state-mandated review every seven years and recommended extending the plan horizon to 2045 to meet recent statutory guidance that expects municipalities to include 10- and 20-year planning periods.

Ruiz told the council the draft uses population projections that would grow the city by about 7,324 residents by 2045 compared with the 2020 census and that staff expects most growth to occur in the first 10-year period. He said the consultant will include land-capacity analysis, housing stock and affordability reviews, transportation and level-of-service modeling, utility and parks capacity reviews, and a future land-use map series. Ruiz also said the 2023 Water Supply Plan approved by council must be integrated into the comprehensive plan before future land-use amendments can be accepted by state review.

Ruiz flagged statutory-driven changes staff plans to propose: addition of a "very low" affordable-housing classification, updated definitions and agency names, explicit septic-to-sewer policies, and provisions addressing resiliency facilities, electric substations and floating solar arrays in accordance with state preemption and guidance. Staff proposed transmitting draft changes after a planning commission hearing Nov. 5 and a council first hearing Nov. 12 for state and Volusia County review.