Issue Statement: A major and extensive amendment to the City of Oakland Park 2007 Comprehensive Plan is proposed to update and to create the 2023 Comprehensive Plan as recommended by the 2021 Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR).
Recommended Action: The Planning and Zoning Board recommend that the City Commission adopt the proposed Ordinance amending the City’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan as an update to create the 2023 Comprehensive Plan through 2040.
Background: As required by Florida Statutes, local governments must update their Comprehensive Plan every seven years. The Evaluation and Appraisal Process was designed to address any changes in state requirements since the last update of the plan by the city. On November 20, 2019, the City Commission authorized a contract with Kimley Horn to conduct the statutory review and identify areas of the Comprehensive Plan to be updated to comply with the State Statutes. This review was the first step in the process to update the City's Comprehensive Plan.
At its November 3, 2021, meeting, the City Commission adopted a resolution to accept the 2021 Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) that was prepared and accepted by the Florida Department of Commerce. Following the Evaluation and Appraisal Report process, the City Commission on January 12, 2022, authorized another contract with Kimley Horn to begin the updating and the creation of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan. Subsequently, the process began by undergoing data collection and analysis, and the revising, drafting, and updating the plan for a new vision of the future for the city. In addition, the city’s team conducted a series of community input meetings with the public.
Plan Element Contents, Summary, Purpose, and Intent:
The Comprehensive Plan ("the Plan") is the policy foundation for local planning and land-use decisions created through a public input process where the City Commission adopts policies, goals, and aspirations regarding community development. As provided for in the EAR Process, the Oakland Park Comprehensive Plan will feature the following sixteen (16) public policies in "Elements," or chapters, to incorporate the City Commission's vision, address deficiencies, and establish the long-term planning framework for the future of Oakland Park through 2040.
Summary of Plan Element Changes:
1. Future Land Use: The Future Land Use Element was updated to be more consistent with BrowardNEXT, the County’s Land Use Plan. Additional edits were made to make the document more user-friendly including moving portions of the Land Use Implementation section with the rearrangement of the order of the established land use designations. Additional goals were added to this element to reflect existing City priorities. The primary element objectives and policies were revised throughout the document to match this updated organization. Other significant restructuring of the goals, objectives and policies was completed to move the objectives and policies to a more fitting element.
2. Housing: The Housing element was updated to be consistent with Broward NEXT and the city’s Land Development Code. References were included throughout to provide clarification around attainable and affordable housing, including references to the Live Local Act and existing City programs/partnerships.
3. Transportation and Mobility: The Transportation element was updated to also include goals, objectives, and policies relevant to multi-modal, accessible mobility options to meet the updated goal of supporting a variety of modes of transportation to ensure sustainability, high quality of life, and reduced traffic. Language was updated throughout to meet current best practices such as replacing “accident” with “crash.” Objectives and policies from this element were moved to the Sustainability and Resiliency Element as appropriate. New policies around priorities relating to lighting, underpass and entranceway beautification, bus stops, and partnerships were added throughout.
4. Infrastructure: References to other local, municipal, and regional plans were made throughout this element and indicated that those documents should function as secondary guides to the readers. References to the South Florida Water Management District and their Water Conservation program were added wherever it was necessary. The emphasis of this element is on encouraging level of service standards that follow national and regional best practices while ensuring streamlined coordination with other agencies. The entire element was also updated to be consistent with the Water Supply Plan, and other current programs and funding.
5. Intergovernmental Coordination: This element was edited to reflect current operating procedures between City of Oakland and other entities to ensure streamlined coordination. The goal was only slightly revised to be easier to read. The objectives and policies were revised as well.
6. Recreation and Open Space: This element was significantly reorganized, like the Housing element. Edits throughout the document including the removal of dates and the updating of the language to remain current over time, add priorities around conserving existing resources and expanding creative partnerships, and ensure ease of use for those using the plan. All objectives and policies have been revised based on staff priorities, community input, and to reflect the goals of other regional efforts.
7. Conservation: This element was updated to remain current over time and adjusted to better coordinate with the addition of the Sustainability and Resiliency element. In general, the goal, objectives, and policies were updated to be more streamlined and easier to read/use.
8. Sustainability and Resiliency (New Element): This is a new element, and the goal, objectives, and policies reflect community input and staff direction. All the policies were crafted to be consistent with BrowardNEXT and the Climate Action Plan. Some of the policies that were originally in Transportation and Mobility, such as the objective around evacuation in cases of emergency, were moved to this element.
9. Coastal Management: The Coastal Management element was updated to reflect current policy and program status, while also reflecting the goals of the Climate Action Plan.
10. Economic Development (New Element): This is a new element, and the goal, objectives, and policies reflect community input and staff direction.
11. Private Property Rights (New Element): This new element recently adopted by amendment to the Comprehensive Plan requires that the following rights of property owners shall be considered in local decision making as follows: To physically possess and control the property; to use, maintain, develop, and improve property. To exclude others from the property; and to dispose of property.
12. Capital Improvements: The level of service (LOS) standards has been updated to reflect national and regional best practices, as well as current operating procedures. Introduction text was added for this element to remain consistent with the other elements. The goal for this element did not change.
13. Public Schools Facilities: Public School Facilities element included an updated Level of Service standards for the Florida Inventory of School Housing and mentioned where collaboration with Broward County and the School Board would be necessary. In general, this element was only updated to ensure it was consistent with the other elements of the plan. The goals were both updated to be more streamlined and easier to understand. No significant changes were made to the objectives and policies of this element. Policies were only removed if they had been previously completed.
14. Land Use Implementation: The element was amended to relocate future land use descriptions to the future land use element and to update all the definitions to include new ones, modify existing and remove outdated ones.
15. Capital Improvements Implementation: The element has been amended to mirror level of service (LOS) standards that has been updated to reflect national and regional best practices, as well as current operating procedures. Using a variety of financing strategies to implement local capital improvements. An introduction text paragraph was added for this element to remain consistent with the other elements.
16. Monitoring and Evaluation: This element mentions how the document must stay consistent with state and regional plans as they are amended. There are no policies in this element, but the language has been updated to reflect current operating procedures and partners.
17. 2023 Comprehensive Plan Map Series: Attached is the map series with the required the maps that are statutorily required for a Comprehensive Plan and others for informational and reference purposes.
While the Plan covers all the topics noted above, one of the most important chapters is the Future Land Use chapter. This chapter will establish a vision for and guide the character of new development and City growth for approximately the next twenty (20) years.