Florida 2023 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0439 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/12/2023

                       
 
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A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to land use and development 2 
regulations; amending s. 70.51, F.S.; providing the 3 
types of relief that may be included in a negotiated 4 
settlement; requiring a special magistrate to consider 5 
the public interest served by comprehensive plan 6 
provisions that are inconsistent with proposed relief; 7 
revising the requirements of a governmental entity 8 
after the receipt of a special magistrate's 9 
recommendation; revising the effect of a special 10 
magistrate's recommendation; providing procedures for 11 
deeming relief granted by a special magistrate's 12 
recommendation or a negotiated settlement consistent 13 
with comprehensive plan; amending s. 163.3177, F.S.; 14 
revising the types of data that comprehensive plans 15 
and plan amendments must be based on; revising means 16 
by which an application of a methodology used in data 17 
collection or whether a particular methodology is 18 
professionally accepted may be evaluated; revising the 19 
elements that must be included in a comprehensive 20 
plan; revising the planning periods that must be 21 
included in a comprehensive plan; amending s. 22 
163.3191, F.S.; revising the frequency at which a 23 
local government must evaluate its comprehensive plan 24 
for specified purposes; requiring, rather than 25     
 
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authorizing, a local government to comprehensively 26 
evaluate and update its comprehensive plans to reflect 27 
changes in local conditions; requiring a local 28 
government to submit an affidavit for specified 29 
purposes; prohibiting a local government from publicly 30 
initiating or adopting plan amendments to its 31 
comprehensive plan when it fails to meet certain 32 
requirements; requiring the state land planning agency 33 
to provide certain information when a local government 34 
fails to update its comprehensive plan; providing 35 
procedures if an update is found to not be in 36 
compliance or if the update is challenged by a third 37 
party; amending s. 163.3202, F.S.; revising content 38 
requirements for local land development regulations; 39 
revising exceptions to applicability of land 40 
development regulations relating to single -family or 41 
two-family dwelling building design elements; deleting 42 
a definition; amending ss. 189.08 and 479.01, F.S.; 43 
conforming cross-references; providing an effective 44 
date. 45 
 46 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 47 
 48 
 Section 1.  Paragraph (h) of subsectio n (18) of section 49 
70.51, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph (i), 50     
 
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paragraph (a) of subsection (17), paragraph (a) of subsection 51 
(21), and subsection (25) are amended, and a new paragraph (h) 52 
is added to subsection (18) of that section, to read: 53 
 70.51  Land use and environmental dispute resolution. — 54 
 (17)  In all respects, the hearing must be informal and 55 
open to the public and does not require the use of an attorney. 56 
The hearing must operate at the direction and under the 57 
supervision of the spec ial magistrate. The object of the hearing 58 
is to focus attention on the impact of the governmental action 59 
giving rise to the request for relief and to explore 60 
alternatives to the development order or enforcement action and 61 
other regulatory efforts by the go vernmental entities in order 62 
to recommend relief, when appropriate, to the owner. 63 
 (a)  The first responsibility of the special magistrate is 64 
to facilitate a resolution of the conflict between the owner and 65 
governmental entities to the end that some modifi cation of the 66 
owner's proposed use of the property or adjustment in the 67 
development order or enforcement action or regulatory efforts by 68 
one or more of the governmental parties may be reached. 69 
Accordingly, the special magistrate shall act as a facilitator 70 
or mediator between the parties in an effort to effect a 71 
mutually acceptable solution. The parties shall be represented 72 
at the mediation by persons with authority to bind their 73 
respective parties to a solution, or by persons with authority 74 
to recommend a solution directly to the persons with authority 75     
 
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to bind their respective parties to a solution. A negotiated 76 
settlement may include, but is not limited to, one or more of 77 
the following types of relief or other extraordinary relief 78 
deemed appropriate by the parties: 79 
 1.  An adjustment of land development or permit standards 80 
or other provisions controlling the development or use of land 81 
for the property subject to the dispute or other property owned 82 
or controlled by the parties to the settlement. 83 
 2.  Increases or modifications in the density, intensity, 84 
or use of areas of development. 85 
 3.  The transfer of development rights. 86 
 4.  Land swaps or exchanges. 87 
 5.  Mitigation relief, including payments in lieu of onsite 88 
mitigation. 89 
 6.  Location on the least sensiti ve portion of the 90 
property. 91 
 7.  Conditioning the amount of development or use 92 
permitted. 93 
 8.  A requirement that issues be addressed on a more 94 
comprehensive basis than a single proposed use or development. 95 
 9.  Issuance of the development order, a variance, a 96 
special exception, or other extraordinary relief, including 97 
withdrawal of the enforcement action. 98 
 10.  Purchase of the real property, or an interest therein, 99 
by an appropriate governmental entity or payment of 100     
 
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compensation. 101 
 (18)  The circumstances to be examined in determining 102 
whether the development order or enforcement action, or the 103 
development order or enforcement action in conjunction with 104 
regulatory efforts of other governmental parties, is 105 
unreasonable or unfairly burdens use of the pro perty may 106 
include, but are not limited to: 107 
 (h)  The public interest served by the local comprehensive 108 
plan provisions that are inconsistent with the proposed relief 109 
granted by the special magistrate's recommendation. 110 
 (21)  Within 45 days after receipt of the special 111 
magistrate's recommendation, the governmental entity responsible 112 
for the development order or enforcement action and other 113 
governmental entities participating in the proceeding must 114 
consult among themselves and each governmental entity must: 115 
 (a)  Accept the recommendation of the special magistrate as 116 
submitted and proceed to implement it by development agreement, 117 
when appropriate, or by other method, in the ordinary course and 118 
consistent with the rules and procedures of that governmental 119 
entity. However, the decision of the governmental entity to 120 
accept the recommendation of the special magistrate with respect 121 
to granting a rezoning, modification, variance, or special 122 
exception to the application of statutes, rules, regulations, 123 
comprehensive plans, or ordinances as they would otherwise apply 124 
to the subject property does not require an owner to duplicate 125     
 
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previous processes in which the owner has participated in order 126 
to effectuate the granting of the modification, variance, or 127 
special exception. Any recommendation of the special magistrate 128 
with respect to granting a rezoning of property is not 129 
considered contract zoning ; 130 
 (25)  Regardless of the action the governmental entity 131 
takes on the special magistrate's recommendation, a 132 
recommendation that the development order or enforcement action, 133 
or the development order or enforcement action in combination 134 
with other governmental regulatory actions, is unreasonable or 135 
unfairly burdens use of the owner's real property may serve as 136 
an indication of suffi cient hardship to support a rezoning, 137 
modification, variance variances, or special exception 138 
exceptions to the application of statutes, rules, regulations, 139 
or ordinances to the subject property. If the relief granted 140 
within the special magistrate's recomme ndation or a negotiated 141 
settlement entered into under this section has the effect of 142 
contravening local comprehensive plans or is inconsistent with 143 
the local government's adopted comprehensive plan, the 144 
recommendation or approved negotiated settlement shal l be deemed 145 
consistent with the comprehensive plan under s. 163.3194 if the 146 
special magistrate or the governing body of the local government 147 
finds that the settlement agreement and approved development 148 
protects the public interest served by the comprehensi ve plan 149 
provisions with which the development conflicts. 150     
 
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 Section 2.  Paragraph (f) of subsection (1), subsection 151 
(2), paragraph (a) of subsection (5), and paragraph (a) of 152 
subsection (6) of section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, are 153 
amended to read: 154 
 163.3177  Required and optional elements of comprehensive 155 
plan; studies and surveys. — 156 
 (1)  The comprehensive plan shall provide the principles, 157 
guidelines, standards, and strategies for the orderly and 158 
balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and 159 
fiscal development of the area that reflects community 160 
commitments to implement the plan and its elements. These 161 
principles and strategies shall guide future decisions in a 162 
consistent manner and shall contain programs and activities to 163 
ensure comprehensive plans are implemented. The sections of the 164 
comprehensive plan containing the principles and strategies, 165 
generally provided as goals, objectives, and policies, shall 166 
describe how the local government's programs, activities, and 167 
land development regula tions will be initiated, modified, or 168 
continued to implement the comprehensive plan in a consistent 169 
manner. It is not the intent of this part to require the 170 
inclusion of implementing regulations in the comprehensive plan 171 
but rather to require identificatio n of those programs, 172 
activities, and land development regulations that will be part 173 
of the strategy for implementing the comprehensive plan and the 174 
principles that describe how the programs, activities, and land 175     
 
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development regulations will be carried out. The plan shall 176 
establish meaningful and predictable standards for the use and 177 
development of land and provide meaningful guidelines for the 178 
content of more detailed land development and use regulations. 179 
 (f)  All required mandatory and optional elements o f the 180 
comprehensive plan and plan amendments must shall be based upon 181 
relevant and appropriate data and an analysis by the local 182 
government that may include, but not be limited to, surveys, 183 
studies, community goals and vision, and other data available at 184 
the time of adoption of the comprehensive plan or plan 185 
amendment. To be based on data means to react to it in an 186 
appropriate way and to the extent necessary indicated by the 187 
data available on that particular subject at the time of 188 
adoption of the plan or pl an amendment at issue.  189 
 1.  Surveys, studies, and data utilized in the preparation 190 
of the comprehensive plan may not be deemed a part of the 191 
comprehensive plan unless adopted as a part of it. Copies of 192 
such studies, surveys, data, and supporting documents for 193 
proposed plans and plan amendments must shall be made available 194 
for public inspection, and copies of such plans must shall be 195 
made available to the public upon payment of reasonable charges 196 
for reproduction. Support data or summaries shall be are not 197 
subject to the compliance review process ., but The comprehensive 198 
plan, the support data, and the summaries must be clearly based 199 
on current appropriate data and analysis, which is relevant to 200     
 
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and correlates to the proposed amendment . Support data or 201 
summaries may be used to aid in the determination of compliance 202 
and consistency. 203 
 2.  Data must be taken from professionally accepted 204 
sources. The application of a methodology utilized in data 205 
collection or whether a particular methodology is professionally 206 
accepted may be evaluated. However, the evaluation may not 207 
include whether one accepted methodology is better than another. 208 
Original data collection by local governments is not required. 209 
However, local governments may use original data so long as 210 
methodologies are professionally accepted. 211 
 3.  The comprehensive plan must shall be based upon 212 
permanent and seasonal population estimates and projections, 213 
which must shall either be those published by the Office of 214 
Economic and Demographic Research or generated by t he local 215 
government based upon a professionally acceptable methodology , 216 
whichever is greater . The plan must be based on at least the 217 
minimum amount of land required to accommodate the medium 218 
projections as published by the Office of Economic and 219 
Demographic Research for at least a 10 -year planning period 220 
unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05, including related 221 
rules of the Administration Commission. Absent physical 222 
limitations on population growth, population projections for 223 
each municipality, and the un incorporated area within a county 224 
must, at a minimum, be reflective of each area's proportional 225     
 
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share of the total county population and the total county 226 
population growth. 227 
 (2)  Coordination of the required and optional several 228 
elements of the local compr ehensive plan must shall be a major 229 
objective of the planning process. The required and optional 230 
several elements of the comprehensive plan must shall be 231 
consistent. Optional elements of the comprehensive plan may not 232 
contain policies that restrict the den sity or intensity 233 
established in the future land use element. Where data is 234 
relevant to required and optional several elements, consistent 235 
data must shall be used, including population estimates and 236 
projections unless alternative data can be justified for a plan 237 
amendment through new supporting data and analysis . Each map 238 
depicting future conditions must reflect the principles, 239 
guidelines, and standards within all elements, and each such map 240 
must be contained within the comprehensive plan. 241 
 (5)(a)  Each local government comprehensive plan must 242 
include at least two planning periods, one covering at least the 243 
first 10-year 5-year period occurring after the plan's adoption 244 
and one covering at least a 20-year 10-year period. Additional 245 
planning periods for speci fic components, elements, land use 246 
amendments, or projects shall be permissible and accepted as 247 
part of the planning process. 248 
 (6)  In addition to the requirements of subsections (1) -249 
(5), the comprehensive plan shall include the following 250     
 
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elements: 251 
 (a)  A future land use plan element designating proposed 252 
future general distribution, location, and extent of the uses of 253 
land for residential uses, commercial uses, industry, 254 
agriculture, recreation, conservation, education, public 255 
facilities, and other categor ies of the public and private uses 256 
of land. The approximate acreage and the general range of 257 
density or intensity of use must shall be provided for the gross 258 
land area included in each existing land use category. The 259 
element must shall establish the long-term end toward which land 260 
use programs and activities are ultimately directed. 261 
 1.  Each future land use category must be defined in terms 262 
of uses included, and must include standards to be followed in 263 
the control and distribution of population densities a nd 264 
building and structure intensities. The proposed distribution, 265 
location, and extent of the various categories of land use must 266 
shall be shown on a land use map or map series which is shall be 267 
supplemented by goals, policies, and measurable objectives. 268 
 2.  The future land use plan and plan amendments must shall 269 
be based upon surveys, studies, and data regarding the area, as 270 
applicable, including: 271 
 a.  The amount of land required to accommodate anticipated 272 
growth, including the amount of land necessary to accommodate 273 
single-family, two-family, and fee simple townhome development . 274 
 b.  The projected permanent and seasonal population of the 275     
 
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area. 276 
 c.  The character of undeveloped land. 277 
 d.  The availability of water supplies, public facilities, 278 
and services. 279 
 e.  The amount of land located outside the urban service 280 
area, excluding lands designated for conservation, preservation, 281 
or other public use. 282 
 f.e. The need for redevelopment, including the renewal of 283 
blighted areas and the elimination of nonconforming uses which 284 
are inconsistent with the character of the community. 285 
 g.f. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to or 286 
closely proximate to military installations. 287 
 h.g. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to an 288 
airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02. 289 
 i.h. The discouragement of urban sprawl. 290 
 j.i. The need for job creation, capital investment, and 291 
economic development that will strengthen and diversify the 292 
community's economy. 293 
 k.j. The need to modify land uses and development patterns 294 
within antiquated subdivisions. 295 
 3.  The future land use plan element must shall include 296 
criteria to be used to: 297 
 a.  Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent or closely 298 
proximate to military installations, considering factors 299 
identified in s. 163.3175(5). 300     
 
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 b.  Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent to an 301 
airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02. 302 
 c.  Encourage preservation of recreational and commercial 303 
working waterfronts for water -dependent uses in coastal 304 
communities. 305 
 d.  Encourage the location of schools proximate to urban 306 
service residential areas to the extent possible and encourage 307 
the location of schools in all areas if necessary to provide 308 
adequate school capacity to serve residential development . 309 
 e.  Coordinate future land uses with the topography and 310 
soil conditions, and the availability of facilities and 311 
services. 312 
 f.  Ensure the protection of natural and historic 313 
resources. 314 
 g.  Provide for the compatibility of adjacent land uses. 315 
 h.  Provide guidelines for the implementation of mixed -use 316 
development including the types of uses allowed, the percentage 317 
distribution among the mix of uses, or other standards, and the 318 
density and intensity of each use. 319 
 4.  The amount of land designated for future planned uses 320 
must shall provide a balance of uses that foster vibrant, viable 321 
communities and economic development opportunities and address 322 
outdated development patterns, such as antiquated subdivisions. 323 
The amount of land designated for future land uses should allow 324 
the operation of real estate markets to provide adequate choices 325     
 
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for permanent and seasonal residents and business and may not be 326 
limited solely by the projected population. The element must 327 
shall accommodate at least the minimum amount of land required 328 
to accommodate the medium projections as published by the Office 329 
of Economic and Demographic Research for at least a 10 -year 330 
planning period unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05, 331 
including related rules of the Administration Commission. 332 
 5.  The future land use plan of a county may designate 333 
areas for possible future muni cipal incorporation. 334 
 6.  The land use maps or map series must shall generally 335 
identify and depict historic district boundaries and must shall 336 
designate historically significant properties meriting 337 
protection. 338 
 7.  The future land use element must clearly identify the 339 
land use categories in which public schools are an allowable 340 
use. When delineating the land use categories in which public 341 
schools are an allowable use, a local government shall include 342 
in the categories sufficient land proximate to residentia l 343 
development to meet the projected needs for schools in 344 
coordination with public school boards and may establish 345 
differing criteria for schools of different type or size. Each 346 
local government shall include lands contiguous to existing 347 
school sites, to the maximum extent possible, within the land 348 
use categories in which public schools are an allowable use. 349 
 8.  Future land use map amendments must shall be based upon 350     
 
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the following analyses: 351 
 a.  An analysis of the availability of facilities and 352 
services. 353 
 b.  An analysis of the suitability of the plan amendment 354 
for its proposed use considering the character of the 355 
undeveloped land, soils, topography, natural resources, and 356 
historic resources on site. 357 
 c.  An analysis of the minimum amount of land needed to 358 
achieve the goals and requirements of this section. 359 
 9.  The future land use element must and any amendment to 360 
the future land use element shall discourage the proliferation 361 
of urban sprawl by planning for future development as provided 362 
in this section. 363 
 a. The primary indicators that a plan or plan amendment 364 
does not discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl are listed 365 
below. The evaluation of the presence of these indicators shall 366 
consist of an analysis of the plan or plan amendment within the 367 
context of features and characteristics unique to each locality 368 
in order to determine whether the plan or plan amendment: 369 
 (I)  Promotes, allows, or designates for development 370 
substantial areas of the jurisdiction to develop as low -371 
intensity, low-density, or single-use development or uses. 372 
 (II)  Promotes, allows, or designates significant amounts 373 
of urban development to occur in rural areas at substantial 374 
distances from existing urban areas while not using undeveloped 375     
 
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lands that are available and suitable for deve lopment. 376 
 (III)  Promotes, allows, or designates urban development in 377 
radial, strip, isolated, or ribbon patterns generally emanating 378 
from existing urban developments. 379 
 (IV)  Fails to adequately protect and conserve natural 380 
resources, such as wetlands, flo odplains, native vegetation, 381 
environmentally sensitive areas, natural groundwater aquifer 382 
recharge areas, lakes, rivers, shorelines, beaches, bays, 383 
estuarine systems, and other significant natural systems. 384 
 (V)  Fails to adequately protect adjacent agricul tural 385 
areas and activities, including silviculture, active 386 
agricultural and silvicultural activities, passive agricultural 387 
activities, and dormant, unique, and prime farmlands and soils. 388 
 (VI)  Fails to maximize use of existing public facilities 389 
and services. 390 
 (VII)  Fails to maximize use of future public facilities 391 
and services. 392 
 (VIII)  Allows for land use patterns or timing which 393 
disproportionately increase the cost in time, money, and energy 394 
of providing and maintaining facilities and services, includin g 395 
roads, potable water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management, law 396 
enforcement, education, health care, fire and emergency 397 
response, and general government. 398 
 (IX)  Fails to provide a clear separation between rural and 399 
urban uses. 400     
 
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 (X)  Discourages or inhibits infill development or the 401 
redevelopment of existing neighborhoods and communities. 402 
 (XI)  Fails to encourage a functional mix of uses. 403 
 (XII)  Results in poor accessibility among linked or 404 
related land uses. 405 
 (XIII)  Results in the loss of signifi cant amounts of 406 
functional open space. 407 
 b.  The future land use element or plan amendment shall be 408 
determined to discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl if it 409 
incorporates a development pattern or urban form that achieves 410 
four or more of the following : 411 
 (I)  Directs or locates economic growth and associated land 412 
development to geographic areas of the community in a manner 413 
that does not have an adverse impact on and protects natural 414 
resources and ecosystems. 415 
 (II)  Promotes the efficient and cost -effective provision 416 
or extension of public infrastructure and services. 417 
 (III)  Promotes walkable and connected communities and 418 
provides for compact development and a mix of uses at densities 419 
and intensities that will support a range of housing choices and 420 
a multimodal transportation system, including pedestrian, 421 
bicycle, and transit, if available. 422 
 (IV)  Promotes conservation of water and energy. 423 
 (V)  Preserves agricultural areas and activities, including 424 
silviculture, and dormant, unique, and prime farmlands a nd 425     
 
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soils. 426 
 (VI)  Preserves open space and natural lands and provides 427 
for public open space and recreation needs. 428 
 (VII)  Creates a balance of land uses based upon demands of 429 
the residential population for the nonresidential needs of an 430 
area. 431 
 (VIII)  Provides uses, densities, and intensities of use 432 
and urban form that would remediate an existing or planned 433 
development pattern in the vicinity that constitutes sprawl or 434 
if it provides for an innovative development pattern such as 435 
transit-oriented developments or new towns as defined in s. 436 
163.3164. 437 
 10.  The future land use element must shall include a 438 
future land use map or map series. 439 
 a.  The proposed distribution, extent, and location of the 440 
following uses must shall be shown on the future land use map or 441 
map series: 442 
 (I)  Residential. 443 
 (II)  Commercial. 444 
 (III)  Industrial. 445 
 (IV)  Agricultural. 446 
 (V)  Recreational. 447 
 (VI)  Conservation. 448 
 (VII)  Educational. 449 
 (VIII)  Public. 450     
 
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 b.  The following areas must shall also be shown on the 451 
future land use map or map se ries, if applicable: 452 
 (I)  Historic district boundaries and designated 453 
historically significant properties. 454 
 (II)  Transportation concurrency management area boundaries 455 
or transportation concurrency exception area boundaries. 456 
 (III)  Multimodal transportat ion district boundaries. 457 
 (IV)  Mixed-use categories. 458 
 c.  The following natural resources or conditions must 459 
shall be shown on the future land use map or map series, if 460 
applicable: 461 
 (I)  Existing and planned public potable waterwells, cones 462 
of influence, and wellhead protection areas. 463 
 (II)  Beaches and shores, including estuarine systems. 464 
 (III)  Rivers, bays, lakes, floodplains, and harbors. 465 
 (IV)  Wetlands. 466 
 (V)  Minerals and soils. 467 
 (VI)  Coastal high hazard areas. 468 
 Section 3.  Section 163.3191, Flor ida Statutes, is amended 469 
to read: 470 
 163.3191  Evaluation and appraisal of comprehensive plan. — 471 
 (1)  At least once every 7 years, each local government 472 
shall evaluate its comprehensive plan to determine if plan 473 
amendments are necessary to reflect a minimum planning period of 474 
at least 10 years as provided in s. 163.3177(5), or to reflect 475     
 
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changes in state requirements in this part since the last update 476 
of the comprehensive plan, and notify the state land planning 477 
agency as to its determination. The notification shall include a 478 
separate affidavit, signed by the chair of the governing body of 479 
the county and the mayor of the municipality, attesting that all 480 
elements of its comprehensive plan comply with this subsection. 481 
The affidavit must also include a certificat ion that the adopted 482 
comprehensive plan contains the minimum planning period of 10 483 
years, as provided in s. 163.3177(5), and must cite the source 484 
and date of the population projections used in establishing the 485 
10-year planning period. 486 
 (2)  If the local go vernment determines amendments to its 487 
comprehensive plan are necessary to reflect changes in state 488 
requirements, the local government must shall prepare and 489 
transmit within 1 year such plan amendment or amendments for 490 
review pursuant to s. 163.3184. 491 
 (3)  Local governments shall are encouraged to 492 
comprehensively evaluate and, as necessary, update comprehensive 493 
plans to reflect changes in local conditions. Plan amendments 494 
transmitted pursuant to this section must shall be reviewed 495 
pursuant to s. 163.3184(4). Updates to the required and optional 496 
elements of the comprehensive plan must be processed in the same 497 
plan amendment cycle. 498 
 (4)  If a local government fails to submit the its letter 499 
and affidavit prescribed by subsection (1) or transmit the 500     
 
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update to its plan pursuant to subsection (3) within 1 year 501 
after the date the letter was transmitted to the state land 502 
planning agency (2), it may not initiate or adopt any publicly 503 
initiated plan amendments to amend its comprehensive plan until 504 
such time as it complies with this section , unless otherwise 505 
required by general law. This prohibition on plan amendments 506 
does not apply to privately initiated plan amendments. The 507 
failure of the local government to timely update its plan may 508 
not be the basis for the denial of privately initiated 509 
comprehensive plan amendments . 510 
 (5)  If it is determined that a local government has failed 511 
to update its comprehensive plan pursuant to this section, the 512 
state land planning agency must provide the required population 513 
projections that must be used by the local government to update 514 
the comprehensive plan. The local government shall initiate an 515 
update to its comprehensive plan within 3 months after the 516 
receipt of the population projections and must transmit the 517 
update within 12 months . If the state land planning agency does 518 
not find the update to be in compliance, the agency must 519 
establish the timeline to address such deficiencies, not to 520 
exceed an additional 12 -month period. If the update is 521 
challenged by a third party, the local gove rnment may seek 522 
approval from the state land planning agency to process publicly 523 
initiated plan amendments that are necessary to accommodate 524 
population growth during the pendency of the litigation. During 525     
 
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the update process, the local government may provid e alternative 526 
population projections based on professionally accepted 527 
methodologies, but only if those population projections exceed 528 
the population projections provided by the state land planning 529 
agency and only if the update is completed within the time 530 
period provided in this subsection. 531 
 (6)(5) The state land planning agency may not adopt rules 532 
to implement this section, other than procedural rules or a 533 
schedule indicating when local governments must comply with the 534 
requirements of this section. 535 
 Section 4.  Subsections (2) and (5) of section 163.3202, 536 
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 537 
 163.3202  Land development regulations. — 538 
 (2)  Local land development regulations shall contain 539 
specific and detailed provisions necessary or desirable to 540 
implement the adopted comprehensive plan and shall at a minimum: 541 
 (a)  Regulate the subdivision of land. 542 
 (b)  Establish minimum lot sizes within single -family, two-543 
family, and fee simple, single -family townhouse zoning districts 544 
to accommodate the maximum density authorized in the 545 
comprehensive plan, net of the land area required to be set 546 
aside for subdivision roads, sidewalks, stormwater ponds, open 547 
space, landscape buffers, and any other mandatory land 548 
development regulations that require land to be set aside t hat 549 
could otherwise be used for the development of single -family 550     
 
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homes, two-family homes, and fee simple, single -family 551 
townhouses. 552 
 (c)  Establish infill development standards for single -553 
family homes, two-family homes, and fee simple townhouse 554 
dwelling units to allow for the administrative approval of 555 
development of infill single -family homes, two-family homes, and 556 
fee simple, single-family townhouses. 557 
 (d)(b) Regulate the use of land and water for those land 558 
use categories included in the land use elemen t and ensure the 559 
compatibility of adjacent uses and provide for open space. 560 
 (e)(c) Provide for protection of potable water wellfields. 561 
 (f)(d) Regulate areas subject to seasonal and periodic 562 
flooding and provide for drainage and stormwater management. 563 
 (g)(e) Ensure the protection of environmentally sensitive 564 
lands designated in the comprehensive plan. 565 
 (h)(f) Regulate signage. 566 
 (i)(g) Provide that public facilities and services meet or 567 
exceed the standards established in the capital improvements 568 
element required by s. 163.3177 and are available when needed 569 
for the development, or that development orders and permits are 570 
conditioned on the availability of these public facilities and 571 
services necessary to serve the proposed development. A local 572 
government may not issue a development order or permit that 573 
results in a reduction in the level of services for the affected 574 
public facilities below the level of services provided in the 575     
 
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local government's comprehensive plan. 576 
 (j)(h) Ensure safe and convenient ons ite traffic flow, 577 
considering needed vehicle parking. 578 
 (k)(i) Maintain the existing density of residential 579 
properties or recreational vehicle parks if the properties are 580 
intended for residential use and are located in the 581 
unincorporated areas that have su fficient infrastructure, as 582 
determined by a local governing authority, and are not located 583 
within a coastal high -hazard area under s. 163.3178. 584 
 (l)(j) Incorporate preexisting development orders 585 
identified pursuant to s. 163.3167(3). 586 
 (5)(a)  Land development regulations relating to building 587 
design elements may not be applied to a single -family or two-588 
family dwelling unless: 589 
 1.  The dwelling is listed in the National Register of 590 
Historic Places, as defined in s. 267.021(5); is located in a 591 
National Register Historic District; or is designated as a 592 
historic property or located in a historic district, under the 593 
terms of a local preservation ordinance; 594 
 2.  The regulations are adopted in order to implement the 595 
National Flood Insurance Program; 596 
 3.  The regulations are adopted pursuant to and in 597 
compliance with chapter 553; 598 
 4.  The dwelling is located in a community redevelopment 599 
area, as defined in s. 163.340(10); 600     
 
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 5.  The regulations are required to ensure protection of 601 
coastal wildlife in compliance with s. 161.052, s. 161.053, s. 602 
161.0531, s. 161.085, s. 161.163, or chapter 373; or 603 
 6.  The dwelling is located in a planned unit development 604 
or master planned community created pursuant to a local 605 
ordinance, resolution, or other final action approved by the 606 
local governing body; or 607 
 6.7. The dwelling is located within the jurisdiction of a 608 
local government that has a design review board or architectural 609 
review board created before January 1, 2020 . 610 
 (b)  For purposes of this subsection, the term : 611 
 1. "building design elements" means the external building 612 
color; the type or style of exterior cladding material; the 613 
style or material of roof structures or porches; the exterior 614 
nonstructural architectural ornamentation; the location or 615 
architectural styling of windows or doors; the location or 616 
orientation of the garage; the number and type of rooms; and the 617 
interior layout of rooms. The term does not include the height, 618 
bulk, orientation, or location of a dwelling on a zoning lot; or 619 
the use of buffering or s creening to minimize potential adverse 620 
physical or visual impacts or to protect the privacy of 621 
neighbors. 622 
 2.  "Planned unit development" or "master planned 623 
community" means an area of land that is planned and developed 624 
as a single entity or in approved st ages with uses and 625     
 
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structures substantially related to the character of the entire 626 
development, or a self -contained development in which the 627 
subdivision and zoning controls are applied to the project as a 628 
whole rather than to individual lots. 629 
 (c)  This subsection does not affect the validity or 630 
enforceability of private covenants or other contractual 631 
agreements relating to building design elements. 632 
 Section 5.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 633 
189.08, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 634 
 189.08  Special district public facilities report. — 635 
 (2)  Each independent special district shall submit to each 636 
local general-purpose government in which it is located a public 637 
facilities report and an annual notice of any changes. The 638 
public facilities repor t shall specify the following 639 
information: 640 
 (a)  A description of existing public facilities owned or 641 
operated by the special district, and each public facility that 642 
is operated by another entity, except a local general -purpose 643 
government, through a lease or other agreement with the special 644 
district. This description shall include the current capacity of 645 
the facility, the current demands placed upon it, and its 646 
location. This information shall be required in the initial 647 
report and updated every 7 years at l east 12 months before the 648 
submission date of the evaluation and appraisal notification 649 
letter of the appropriate local government required by s. 650     
 
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163.3191. The department shall post a schedule on its website, 651 
based on the evaluation and appraisal notificati on schedule 652 
prepared pursuant to s. 163.3191(6) s. 163.3191(5), for use by a 653 
special district to determine when its public facilities report 654 
and updates to that report are due to the local general -purpose 655 
governments in which the special district is locate d. 656 
 Section 6.  Subsection (29) of section 479.01, Florida 657 
Statutes, is amended to read: 658 
 479.01  Definitions. —As used in this chapter, the term: 659 
 (29)  "Zoning category" means the designation under the 660 
land development regulations or other similar ordin ance enacted 661 
to regulate the use of land as provided in s. 163.3202(2) s. 662 
163.3202(2)(b), which designation sets forth the allowable uses, 663 
restrictions, and limitations on use applicable to properties 664 
within the category. 665 
 Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 666