The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to establish goals, objectives, policies, and general standards for the management of growth and the provision of services. The plan is intended to provide general guidelines for establishing more specific standards, ordinances, regulations, procedures, programs, and other tools for implementing the policies contained herein.
Each element contained in the Comprehensive Plan addresses a topic or group of topics involved with the physical development of land within the City and its adjacent planning areas. The elements address the appropriateness of various kinds of land use, the impacts of those land uses on natural resources, the services needed for existing and future development, the fiscal capability of the City to provide those services, and a planned delivery schedule.
The format of each element provides a purpose for the element, level-of-service standards (where applicable), an inventory and analysis of existing conditions and deficiencies, a description of future needs, a listing of goals, objectives, and policies, and a listing of planned improvements for inclusion in the Capital Improvements Element.
The City strives to promote and maximize public participation in the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, the adoption of amendments, and the processing of land development proposals.
Public workshops, advisory committees and teams, public surveys, legal advertisements, general notices, notices to adjacent property owners, and open public hearings have all been used extensively in the preparation and adoption of this plan.
The City promotes and provides the opportunity for public input in the planning process. Public participation is encouraged in the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Regulations and will continue to be encouraged when amendments are proposed to these land use controls.
Public notice is provided to real property owners through advertisement in the local newspaper of proposed annexations, amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, Land Development Regulations, and zoning changes. Thus, the general public is informed by newspaper advertisement of every proposed land use related amendment that will affect the use of their property.
Public hearings are held by the City Commission and Local Planning Agency for annexations, amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations, and zoning changes. No official action can be taken by the City Commission on these requests without holding a public hearing that has been advertised in the local newspaper. Members of the public attending these hearings may participate orally and/or by submitting written comments. Input provided by the public in oral and/or written form is responded to at the hearing and recorded in the official minutes of the hearing.
Legal advertisements are presented in the local newspaper notifying the general public of requests for special exception and variance actions as set forth in the Land Development Regulations and a public hearing is held by the Planning and Zoning Board. These requests affect the use of the subject property and indirectly may affect uses on adjacent properties and the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood.
Workshop and ad hoc committees created by the City Commission for matters involving the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations are open to the public.
The viewer understands and acknowledges that the Comprehensive Plan and information contained therein are subject to change and that its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. While the City of New Smyrna Beach makes every effort to keep its website up-to-date, it cannot make any warrantees or guarantees, either expressed or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, or correctness of the Comprehensive Plan, nor will it accept any liability arising from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information contained therein.