Broward County Comprehensive Plan
In 2019, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a new Comprehensive Plan which includes Goals, Objectives, and Policies (GOPs) to guide the County’s future development. This project was called “BrowardNext”.
The Comprehensive Plan has two components:
- Broward County Comprehensive Plan – including Elements required by State Statute and planning policies for the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) and other unincorporated areas; and
- BMSD Future Land Use Map – designating land use for properties in BMSD.
The Comprehensive Plan i is updated to respond to changing conditions in matters such as land use, population, technology, the economy, and climate impacts. The process of developing and updating the Plan is a community-wide effort that requires compiling and analyzing new data, developing strategies, and amending the GOPs.
Evaluation and Appraisal Review
Local governments must evaluate their comprehensive plans at least once every 7 years and notify FloridaCommerce if plan amendments are necessary to reflect changes in state statute. Broward County must submit this notification by December 1, 2027. If plan amendments are necessary, they must be prepared and transmitted to FloridaCommerce within one (1) year.
Future Land Use Map Amendments
The Land Use Designation in the Comprehensive Plan determines how a property may be used. Map amendments are may be required when a new use is proposed for a property that is not permitted by the future land use category for that property. Map amendments are typically initiated by the property owner. The Broward County Charter requires that municipal future land use maps must be consistent with the Broward County Land Use Plan, however they may be more restrictive.
To amend the Broward Municipal Services District Future Land Use Map Series (FLUMS), the owner must submit an application to the Urban Planning Division,
There are two types of amendments:
The process begins with a pre-application meeting to discuss the proposed amendment and what to expect. Email us to schedule a meeting.
All amendment requests are reviewed by County staff and other related agencies. Recommendations are published in a staff report that is reviewed by the Local Planning Agency (LPA), which makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners at a public meeting. All public meetings are advertised in advance in a local newspaper, such as the Sun Sentinel, as well as posted online on the Sunshine Meeting Notice.
Once the BMSD Future Land Use Map Series (FLUMS) and the Broward County Land Use Plan Map are amended, the property will need to be rezoned to the appropriate designation for the desired use.
For more information please review the Future Land Use map amendment applications or email your questions to our Planning Section.
Rezoning
Within the Broward Municipal Services District, the Broward County Zoning Code regulates development.
Applications for rezoning are reviewed by staff and submitted to the Local Planning Agency prior to action by the Board of County Commissioners at a public hearing.
Flexibility and Compatibility Review
Increases in density and small changes in land uses may also be achieved through an allocation of Flexibility Units. Flexibility Units may be assigned by the County to properties within the BMSD through rezoning and in some cases, through an amendment to the County’s BMSD FLUMS, but do not require any action by the Planning Council..
To ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses (LUP Policy 2.10.1), written notification and additional processes are required if the application for flexibility units or reserve units is for properties under the following circumstances:
Allocations to sites east of the Intracoastal Waterway which impact access to public beaches.
Allocations to sites which are contiguous to a municipality upon request of the contiguous municipality.
Allocations to sites which are adjacent to an Environmentally Sensitive Land, as defined within the Broward County Comprehensive Plan, or a Broward County or regional park, including sites which are attached, located within 500 feet, or separated only by streets and highways, canals and rivers or easements, upon request of the Board of County Commissioners.
If a Compatibility Review is requested, an application must be submitted to the Urban Planning Division for review based on the criteria in Appendix 3 of the Broward County land Use Plan's Administrative Rules Document.
Local Planning Agency
The Local Planning Agency (LPA) holds public hearings when making recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on proposed rezonings, amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Map Series, and updates to the Land Development and Zoning Codes. The meetings are open to the public and notices are published at least 10 days in advance in the Sun Sentinel and on the County’s website. Public comments are incorporated into the staff report that is forwarded to the Commission.
Upcoming LPA meeting agendas and applications are listed on our Public Meetings page.
Workshops
From time to time, The Urban Planning Division holds workshops to discuss and receive input on planning issues of interest to the community, local governments, regional and state agencies, and other interested parties. Future workshops will be posted on our Public Meetings page.
