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VCARD presenters outline how comprehensive plans and amendments work for Edgewater
Summary
VCARD speakers Kelly Cosentino and Jessica Gao explained Florida comprehensive‑plan basics, required elements, and the amendment pathway—including small‑ vs large‑scale distinctions and state and VGMC review—while city staff said Edgewater’s plan dates to 1988 and is due for review.
Kelly Cosentino, executive director of the Volusia County Association for Responsible Development (VCARD), opened the session by saying VCARD volunteers would provide an overview of “what a comprehensive plan is and how zoning works.”
Jessica Gao, VCARD chair and a land use attorney, said a local comprehensive plan is a state‑mandated long‑term framework that directs growth. “Tongue in cheek, we say this is kind of the bible of land use,” Gao said, adding later that the plan functions like “a constitution for all future development.” She listed required elements—future land use, transportation, housing, utilities, conservation, recreation and intergovernmental coordination—and noted a recently added private property rights statement now appears in local plans.
Gao described the typical amendment and adoption process: initiation by a property owner or the local government, local public hearings and an impact analysis (traffic, utilities, environmental and public welfare), then state review by the Department of Commerce and an additional charter‑county review by the Volusia Growth Management Commission (VGMC). She said VGMC’s role includes notifying adjacent jurisdictions and providing intergovernmental coordination.
Gao summarized the small‑scale versus large‑scale distinction that affects timing and review: the state treats amendments affecting 50 acres or less as small scale; small‑scale amendments generally go to adoption locally and are effective 30 days after adoption, while large‑scale amendments are transmitted for state review before final adoption. “Small scale comprehensive plan amendments are adopted because they're pretty minor…they are not actually effective until 30 days after adoption under the state statute,” she said.
The presenters emphasized consistency requirements: any amendment must conform to the local plan’s goals and policies, and the staff report should explain how the proposal meets those objectives. Gao noted that, where the comprehensive plan and local land‑development regulations conflict, the comp plan controls.
City development services director Ryan Solstice added a local timeline: “The original comprehensive plan for the city of Edgewater was adopted in 1988,” and although the plan has had periodic, mostly minor seven‑year updates (most recently 2017), the city is now approaching a fuller review.
The presentation closed with a reminder that the explanations reflect state law as it exists now and that legislative changes can alter local authority or process. Gao and other presenters encouraged public participation and said they would share the presentation materials with attendees.
