Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Discussion
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P24-185 - Update to City of Port St Lucie Comprehensive Plan (Charting PSL)
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Submitted By: Bridget Kean, AICP, Deputy Director Planning and Zoning Department
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of planning for Strategic Growth for a Resilient Future.
Executive Summary (General Business): In 2024, the City contracted with Inspire Placemaking to assist the Planning and Zoning Department with the Evaluation and Appraisal of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and to update the plan based on changes to state requirements and to reflect changes in local conditions. The 2026 update to the comprehensive plan includes updated population projects, updated data and analysis, and revisions to the goals, policies, and objectives of the comprehensive plan. The update is organized into eleven chapters or elements that address future land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure, conservation and coastal management, intergovernmental coordination, recreation and open space, economic development, capital improvements, public schools, and property rights. In addition, the population projections were updated to 2050.
Presentation Information: The consultant will provide a presentation.
Staff Recommendation: Request that the Council review the proposed changes and provide staff direction.
Background: Per Chapter 163, Part II, Florida Statutes, the City is required to maintain an adopted local government comprehensive plan and to evaluate the comprehensive plan every seven years to determine if plan amendments are necessary to reflect changes in state requirements since the last update of the comprehensive plan and to notify the state land planning agency as to its determination. This process is known as an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) and the update to the comprehensive plan is known as EAR-based amendments. The Statute also requires local governments to comprehensively evaluate and update the comprehensive to reflect changes in local conditions and to demonstrate the City has the capacity and the minimum amount of land required to accommodate population growth for at least a 10-year planning period. The City’s last Evaluation and Appraisal Report was in 2019. The City’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2020. The City’s next Evaluation and Appraisal Report is due in September 2026. The update to the City’s comprehensive plan is due in 2027.
Based on these requirements, the Planning and Zoning Department began the process of updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan in Fall 2024 to ensure a thorough evaluation and update of the comprehensive plan. With Inspire Placemaking’s assistance, the Planning and Zoning Department conducted stakeholder interviews, held three public workshops, and participated in two Citizen Submits and other city events to gather public input on the growth and development of the city. Each element has a support document that includes data and analysis to clarify and elaborate on the rationale for adopting the updates to goals, objectives, and policies. The data and analysis sections have been updated to reflect changing conditions in the City and the population projections have been updated to 2050. The proposed changes were reviewed for compliance with Senate Bill 180.
Issues/Analysis: The proposed EAR-based amendments are tentatively scheduled for a special meeting of the Planning and Zoning Board on June 23, 2026. The transmittal hearing is tentatively scheduled for the July 13, 2026 City Council meeting. The City is adopting only the Goals, Objectives, and Policies, as revised, by ordinance. This allows the City to make changes to the data and analysis as conditions change without going through an amendment to the comprehensive plan.
Financial Information: N/A
Special Consideration:
Location of Project: N/A
Attachments:
1. City Council Workshop Presentation
2. Draft Future Land Use GOPs
3. Draft Transportation GOPs
4. Draft Housing GOPs
5. Draft Infrastructure GOPs
6. Draft Conservation and Coastal Management GOPs
7. Draft Intergovernmental Coordination GOPs
8. Draft Recreation and Open Space GOPs
9. Draft Economic Development GOPs
10. Draft Capital Improvement GOPs
11. Draft Public Schools GOPs
12. Draft Property Rights
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 26085-07 (Pertaining to Public Schools element. At time of approval for agenda publication, final versions of the Infrastructure and Transportation elements have not been submitted for review.)
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Russell Ward, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, City Attorney.