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Planning commission forwards Winter Haven's 2050 comprehensive plan and future land-use map to city commission
Summary
The commission voted July 9 to forward PD-26-16 and PD-26-17 — adopting a 2050 planning horizon and updated future land-use map series — to the City Commission; staff said changes are limited now by Senate Bill 180 and will return with more substantive proposals when allowed.
The Winter Haven Planning Commission on July 9 voted to forward to the City Commission an administrative request to adopt a 2050 comprehensive plan and a 2050 future land use map series, following a required evaluation and appraisal report (EAR).
Senior Planner Heather Reuter said state growth-management law (Chapter 163, Florida Statutes) requires periodic EAR reports and that Winter Haven's review identified two areas needing correction: the comprehensive plan must provide a 20-year planning horizon and updated population projections prepared with professionally accepted methodology. Consultant Kimberly Horn supplied the new population projections used in the proposed 2050 horizon.
Reuter told commissioners staff recommended forwarding the EAR-driven updates to the City Commission for final action but cautioned that Senate Bill 180 restricts substantive changes now: "...with the passage of Senate Bill 180, we're limited on what we can do as far as meaningful changes because they may be deemed more burdensome," she said.
T. Michael Staver, Winter Haven's city manager, spoke during public comment to underscore the tension between the statutory requirement to update the plan and the limits imposed by recent state legislation. "You're required... to update a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of the community which you serve while at the same time being limited to make adjustments to a comprehensive plan based upon the needs of the community that you serve by a senate bill," Staver said, calling the situation "a bit of a paradox" and noting that events such as hurricanes could further delay substantive updates.
A commissioner moved to forward PD-26-16 and PD-26-17 to the City Commission and the motion passed on a voice vote; no opposed voices were recorded in the transcript. Reuter and commissioners said staff intends to return with more substantive amendments when statutory constraints are lifted.
