Updated Plant City Comprehensive Plan Adopted

Over the last several years, the Planning Commission and the City of Plant City have been working together to update the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plant City.  As part of this process and after a extensive public outreach effort, an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) was developed and adopted by the municipality in June 2006.  This document assessed the current plan and identified issues that needed to be addressed during the update of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plant City.  Through this process an overall theme emerged, which is captured in the phrase “Embracing the Future, while Preserving Our Past."

Since that time, staff has worked to address the major identified issues and update each of the nine elements, per the requirements of Rule 9J-5 F.A.C and Chapter 163, Part II F.S.  This process involved updating all the background supporting data, which included over 125 tables and figures, each brought up to a baseline year of 2005 and projecting future trends to 2025.  The issues, as identified by the residents that have been addressed in this update can be broadly categorized under the following topical areas: Growth, Assets, People, Economy and Children.

Some of the highlights of the additions to the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Plant City include:

• Illustrate thed “big picture”, incorporated the adopted municipal “vision”, as well as a conceptual “vision” map for the City of Plant City.
• Addressed all state mandated requirements, including those related to concurrency management, sustainable development, wetland protection and financial feasibility.
• Recognized the importance of the recently adopted Midtown Redevelopment District and the Northeast Plant City Area Master Plan.
• Set forth policy direction to develop a “joint planning” area agreement with Hillsborough County.
• Used the concept of the municipality playing the role of the “conductor of the orchestra”, providing leadership and facilitating dialogue among the major players that address issues.
• Processed 16 map amendments, which equates to approximately 80 parcels (130 acres) of property to ensure consistency and to recognize existing land uses, zoning and commercial nodes/corridors to better reflect the overall context and character of these areas of Plant City.

Over the last couple of months, staff held a workshop (March 9th) and opened the adoption public hearing process (March 23rd) with the Plant City City Commission.  The plan was adopted on April 13th.