The Central Florida Regional Planning Council is working with Highlands County to update the Highlands County Comprehensive Plan through the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR).
Highlands 2050
Picture it. Plan it. Create it.
The Comprehensive Plan is a blueprint for current and future development in Highlands County. The Plan’s goals, objectives and policies reflect the County’s vision for its future, and for how it will meet the needs of existing and future residents, visitors and businesses.
The Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) is a State-mandated review of the Comprehensive Plan. In order to be effective, the Plan must continue to be updated to adapt to changing conditions and needs.
The EAR provides the opportunity to take a holistic look at how well the Plan is working, and how it might be refined to address community-specific issues and challenges.
Following the submittal of the EAR, the County will revise the current Comprehensive Plan by adopting the appropriate amendments.
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Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR)
Draft Amendments & Supporting Data
Each section includes goal, objective, and policy statements to help local leaders make decisions about that topic.
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A goal is a broad statement describing what the County wants to achieve.
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An objective describes clear, measurable steps toward reaching that goal.
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Policies are the specific actions the County will take to meet the objective and achieve the goal.
These goal, objective, and policy statements follow the rules in Chapter 163 of the Florida Statutes and align with the other parts of the Comprehensive Plan.
In the Draft Amendments below the text that is underlined is text to be added, and text that is shown as strikeout is to be removed. To learn more about each section, select a section below.
Housing Element
The Housing Element is designed to help make sure that people of all income levels will have access to housing in the future. It sets policies that support a variety of housing types throughout the County. Making sure there are enough safe and good-quality homes is one of the most important ways a local government can protect the health, safety, and well-being of its residents.
Proposed Amendments
Summary of Changes
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Introduction: Added Introduction to cite Housing Element Requirements
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Removed Planning Timeframe as this is an ongoing goal.
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Policy 1.1.G.: Added to comply with Florida Statutes 163.31771 addressing accessory dwelling units.
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Policy 2.5: Updated reference to the Local Housing Assistance Plan.
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Policy 2.7: New Policy to address infrastructure improvements in residential neighborhoods with concentrations of substandard housing to encourage infill and private investment.
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Policy 3.3: Policy deleted because the County utilizes the Florida Building Code.
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OBJECTIVE 10: Policy updated. Greenhouse gas reduction no longer required by Florida Statutes. Outdated references deleted.
Intergovernmental Coordination
Because the County can’t meet every community need on its own, strong partnerships with local and state governments and other agencies are vital. The Intergovernmental Coordination Element lays out the principles and guidelines that will guide our collaboration with these entities.
Proposed Amendments
Summary of Changes
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Introduction: Added Introduction to cite the Intergovernmental Coordination Element Requirements.
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GOAL: Removed Planning Timeframe as this is an ongoing goal.
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Policy 1.1: Provided clarification to the reference of the US Department of Defense related to the Avon Park Air Force Range.
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Policy 1.8: Added policy to address coordination of the Local Hazard Mitigation Working Group.
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Policy 4.8: Removed policy. The policy is out of date. Developments of Regional Impact are now facilitated through the Coordinated Comprehensive Plan Amendment Review process.
