Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1604
       
       
        
       By Senator Ingoglia
       
       
       
       
       
       11-00357C-23                                          20231604__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to land use and development
    3         regulations; amending s. 163.3164, F.S.; revising
    4         definitions; amending s. 163.3177, F.S.; revising the
    5         types of data that comprehensive plans and plan
    6         amendments must be based on; revising provisions
    7         related to coordination of local comprehensive plan
    8         elements; prohibiting optional elements of the
    9         comprehensive plan from containing certain policies;
   10         revising the planning periods that must be included in
   11         a comprehensive plan; revising the elements that must
   12         be included in a comprehensive plan; amending s.
   13         163.3191, F.S.; requiring local governments to
   14         determine if plan amendments are necessary to reflect
   15         a certain minimum planning period; specifying
   16         requirements for a certain notification; requiring,
   17         rather than encouraging, a local government to
   18         comprehensively evaluate and update its comprehensive
   19         plan to reflect changes in local conditions;
   20         specifying the requirements for updating the required
   21         and optional elements of the comprehensive plan;
   22         prohibiting a local government from initiating or
   23         adopting publicly initiated plan amendments to its
   24         comprehensive plan when it fails to meet certain
   25         requirements; providing applicability; providing that
   26         a failure of a local government to update its
   27         comprehensive plan must not be the basis for a certain
   28         denial of plan amendments; requiring the state land
   29         planning agency to provide population projections when
   30         a local government fails to update its comprehensive
   31         plan; requiring the local government to update its
   32         comprehensive plan within a certain timeframe after
   33         receiving the population projections; authorizing the
   34         local government to provide certain alternative
   35         population projections under certain circumstances;
   36         amending s. 163.3202, F.S.; revising requirements for
   37         local land development regulations; prohibiting
   38         certain levels of service from being the basis for the
   39         denial of a development order or permit; revising
   40         exceptions to applicability of land development
   41         regulations relating to single-family or two-family
   42         dwelling building design elements; deleting the
   43         definition of “planned unit development” or “master
   44         planned community”; amending s. 163.3246, F.S.;
   45         revising criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of a
   46         certain certification process; amending s. 189.08,
   47         F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; amending s.
   48         479.01, F.S.; conforming a provision to changes made
   49         by the act; providing an effective date.
   50          
   51  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   52  
   53         Section 1. Subsections (12), (22), (51), and (52) of
   54  section 163.3164, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   55         163.3164 Community Planning Act; definitions.—As used in
   56  this act:
   57         (12) “Density” means an objective measurement of the number
   58  of people or residential units allowed per unit of land, such as
   59  dwelling units residents or employees per acre.
   60         (22) “Intensity” means an objective measurement of the
   61  extent to which land may be developed or used expressed in
   62  square feet per unit of land, such as a maximum floor ratio per
   63  acre, including the consumption or use of the space above, on,
   64  or below ground; the measurement of the use of or demand on
   65  natural resources; and the measurement of the use of or demand
   66  on facilities and services.
   67         (51) “Urban service area” means areas identified in the
   68  comprehensive plan where public facilities and services,
   69  including, but not limited to, central water and sewer capacity
   70  and roads, are already in place or may be expanded through
   71  investment by the local government or the private sector; and
   72  all lands located in any county or municipality designated as a
   73  dense urban land area as described in s. 380.0651(3)(a) are
   74  identified in the capital improvements element. The term
   75  includes any areas identified in the comprehensive plan as urban
   76  service areas, regardless of local government limitation.
   77         (52) “Urban sprawl” means an unplanned and uncontrolled a
   78  development pattern characterized by low density, automobile
   79  dependent development with either a single use or multiple uses
   80  that are not functionally related, requiring the extension of
   81  public facilities and services in an inefficient manner, and
   82  failing to provide a clear separation between urban and rural
   83  uses.
   84         Section 2. Paragraph (f) of subsection (1), subsection (2),
   85  paragraph (a) of subsection (5), and paragraph (a) of subsection
   86  (6) of section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   87         163.3177 Required and optional elements of comprehensive
   88  plan; studies and surveys.—
   89         (1) The comprehensive plan shall provide the principles,
   90  guidelines, standards, and strategies for the orderly and
   91  balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and
   92  fiscal development of the area that reflects community
   93  commitments to implement the plan and its elements. These
   94  principles and strategies shall guide future decisions in a
   95  consistent manner and shall contain programs and activities to
   96  ensure comprehensive plans are implemented. The sections of the
   97  comprehensive plan containing the principles and strategies,
   98  generally provided as goals, objectives, and policies, shall
   99  describe how the local government’s programs, activities, and
  100  land development regulations will be initiated, modified, or
  101  continued to implement the comprehensive plan in a consistent
  102  manner. It is not the intent of this part to require the
  103  inclusion of implementing regulations in the comprehensive plan
  104  but rather to require identification of those programs,
  105  activities, and land development regulations that will be part
  106  of the strategy for implementing the comprehensive plan and the
  107  principles that describe how the programs, activities, and land
  108  development regulations will be carried out. The plan shall
  109  establish meaningful and predictable standards for the use and
  110  development of land and provide meaningful guidelines for the
  111  content of more detailed land development and use regulations.
  112         (f) All required mandatory and optional elements of the
  113  comprehensive plan and plan amendments must shall be based upon
  114  relevant and appropriate data and an analysis by the local
  115  government that may include, but not be limited to, surveys,
  116  studies, community goals and vision, and other data available at
  117  the time of adoption of the comprehensive plan or plan
  118  amendment. To be based on data means to react to it in an
  119  appropriate way and to the extent necessary indicated by the
  120  data available on that particular subject at the time of
  121  adoption of the plan or plan amendment at issue.
  122         1. Surveys, studies, and data utilized in the preparation
  123  of the comprehensive plan may not be deemed a part of the
  124  comprehensive plan unless adopted as a part of it. Copies of
  125  such studies, surveys, data, and supporting documents for
  126  proposed plans and plan amendments must shall be made available
  127  for public inspection, and copies of such plans must shall be
  128  made available to the public upon payment of reasonable charges
  129  for reproduction. Support data or summaries shall be are not
  130  subject to the compliance review process, but the comprehensive
  131  plan must be clearly based on appropriate data. Support data or
  132  summaries may be used to aid in the determination of compliance
  133  and consistency.
  134         2. Data must be taken from professionally accepted sources.
  135  The application of a methodology utilized in data collection or
  136  whether a particular methodology is professionally accepted may
  137  be evaluated. However, the evaluation may not include whether
  138  one accepted methodology is better than another. Original data
  139  collection by local governments is not required. However, local
  140  governments may use original data so long as methodologies are
  141  professionally accepted.
  142         3. The comprehensive plan must shall be based upon
  143  permanent and seasonal population estimates and projections,
  144  which must shall either be those published by the Office of
  145  Economic and Demographic Research or generated by the local
  146  government based upon a professionally acceptable methodology,
  147  whichever is greater. The plan must be based on at least the
  148  minimum amount of land required to accommodate the medium
  149  projections as published by the Office of Economic and
  150  Demographic Research for at least a 10-year planning period
  151  unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05, including related
  152  rules of the Administration Commission. Absent physical
  153  limitations on population growth, population projections for
  154  each municipality, and the unincorporated area within a county
  155  must, at a minimum, be reflective of each area’s proportional
  156  share of the total county population and the total county
  157  population growth.
  158         (2) Coordination of the required and optional several
  159  elements of the local comprehensive plan must shall be a major
  160  objective of the planning process. The required and optional
  161  several elements of the comprehensive plan must shall be
  162  consistent. Optional elements of the comprehensive plan may not
  163  contain policies that restrict the density or intensity
  164  established in the future land use element. Where data is
  165  relevant to required and optional several elements, consistent
  166  data must shall be used, including population estimates and
  167  projections unless alternative data can be justified for a plan
  168  amendment through new supporting data and analysis. Each map
  169  depicting future conditions must reflect the principles,
  170  guidelines, and standards within all elements, and each such map
  171  must be contained within the comprehensive plan.
  172         (5)(a) Each local government comprehensive plan must
  173  include at least two planning periods, one covering at least the
  174  first 10-year 5-year period occurring after the plan’s adoption
  175  and one covering at least a 20-year 10-year period. Additional
  176  planning periods for specific components, elements, land use
  177  amendments, or projects shall be permissible and accepted as
  178  part of the planning process.
  179         (6) In addition to the requirements of subsections (1)-(5),
  180  the comprehensive plan shall include the following elements:
  181         (a) A future land use plan element designating proposed
  182  future general distribution, location, and extent of the uses of
  183  land for residential uses, commercial uses, industry,
  184  agriculture, recreation, conservation, education, public
  185  facilities, and other categories of the public and private uses
  186  of land. The approximate acreage and the general range of
  187  density or intensity of use must shall be provided for the gross
  188  land area included in each existing land use category. The
  189  element must shall establish the long-term end toward which land
  190  use programs and activities are ultimately directed.
  191         1. Each future land use category must be defined in terms
  192  of uses included, and must include standards to be followed in
  193  the control and distribution of population densities and
  194  building and structure intensities. The proposed distribution,
  195  location, and extent of the various categories of land use must
  196  shall be shown on a land use map or map series which is shall be
  197  supplemented by goals, policies, and measurable objectives.
  198         2. The future land use plan and plan amendments must shall
  199  be based upon surveys, studies, and data regarding the area, as
  200  applicable, including:
  201         a. The amount of land required to accommodate anticipated
  202  growth.
  203         b. The projected permanent and seasonal population of the
  204  area.
  205         c. The character of undeveloped land.
  206         d. The availability of water supplies, public facilities,
  207  and services.
  208         e. The need for redevelopment, including the renewal of
  209  blighted areas and the elimination of nonconforming uses which
  210  are inconsistent with the character of the community.
  211         f. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to or
  212  closely proximate to military installations.
  213         g. The compatibility of uses on lands adjacent to an
  214  airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02.
  215         h. The discouragement of urban sprawl.
  216         i. The need for job creation, capital investment, and
  217  economic development that will strengthen and diversify the
  218  community’s economy.
  219         j. The need to modify land uses and development patterns
  220  within antiquated subdivisions.
  221         3. The future land use plan element must shall include
  222  criteria to be used to:
  223         a. Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent or closely
  224  proximate to military installations, considering factors
  225  identified in s. 163.3175(5).
  226         b. Achieve the compatibility of lands adjacent to an
  227  airport as defined in s. 330.35 and consistent with s. 333.02.
  228         c. Encourage preservation of recreational and commercial
  229  working waterfronts for water-dependent uses in coastal
  230  communities.
  231         d. Encourage the location of schools proximate to urban
  232  service residential areas, to the extent possible, and encourage
  233  the location of schools in all areas if necessary to provide
  234  adequate school capacity to serve residential development.
  235         e. Coordinate future land uses with the topography and soil
  236  conditions, and the availability of facilities and services.
  237         f. Ensure the protection of natural and historic resources.
  238         g. Provide for the compatibility of adjacent land uses.
  239         h. Provide guidelines for the implementation of mixed-use
  240  development including the types of uses allowed, the percentage
  241  distribution among the mix of uses, or other standards, and the
  242  density and intensity of each use.
  243         4. The amount of land designated for future planned uses
  244  must shall provide a balance of uses that foster vibrant, viable
  245  communities and economic development opportunities and address
  246  outdated development patterns, such as antiquated subdivisions.
  247  The amount of land designated for future land uses should allow
  248  the operation of real estate markets to provide adequate choices
  249  for permanent and seasonal residents and business and may not be
  250  limited solely by the projected population. The element must
  251  shall accommodate at least the minimum amount of land required
  252  to accommodate the medium projections as published by the Office
  253  of Economic and Demographic Research for at least a 10-year
  254  planning period unless otherwise limited under s. 380.05,
  255  including related rules of the Administration Commission.
  256         5. The future land use plan of a county may designate areas
  257  for possible future municipal incorporation.
  258         6. The land use maps or map series must shall generally
  259  identify and depict historic district boundaries and must shall
  260  designate historically significant properties meriting
  261  protection.
  262         7. The future land use element must clearly identify the
  263  land use categories in which public schools are an allowable
  264  use. When delineating the land use categories in which public
  265  schools are an allowable use, a local government shall include
  266  in the categories sufficient land proximate to residential
  267  development to meet the projected needs for schools in
  268  coordination with public school boards and may establish
  269  differing criteria for schools of different type or size. Each
  270  local government shall include lands contiguous to existing
  271  school sites, to the maximum extent possible, within the land
  272  use categories in which public schools are an allowable use.
  273         8. Future land use map amendments must shall be based upon
  274  the following analyses:
  275         a. An analysis of the availability of facilities and
  276  services.
  277         b. An analysis of the suitability of the plan amendment for
  278  its proposed use considering the character of the undeveloped
  279  land, soils, topography, natural resources, and historic
  280  resources on site.
  281         c. An analysis of the minimum amount of land needed to
  282  achieve the goals and requirements of this section.
  283         9. The future land use element must and any amendment to
  284  the future land use element shall discourage the proliferation
  285  of urban sprawl by planning for future development as provided
  286  in this section.
  287         a. The primary indicators that a plan or plan amendment
  288  does not discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl are listed
  289  below. The evaluation of the presence of these indicators shall
  290  consist of an analysis of the plan or plan amendment within the
  291  context of features and characteristics unique to each locality
  292  in order to determine whether the plan or plan amendment:
  293         (I) Promotes, allows, or designates for development
  294  substantial areas of the jurisdiction to develop as low
  295  intensity, low-density, or single-use development or uses.
  296         (II) Promotes, allows, or designates significant amounts of
  297  urban development to occur in rural areas at substantial
  298  distances from existing urban areas while not using undeveloped
  299  lands that are available and suitable for development.
  300         (III) Promotes, allows, or designates urban development in
  301  radial, strip, isolated, or ribbon patterns generally emanating
  302  from existing urban developments.
  303         (IV) Fails to adequately protect and conserve natural
  304  resources, such as wetlands, floodplains, native vegetation,
  305  environmentally sensitive areas, natural groundwater aquifer
  306  recharge areas, lakes, rivers, shorelines, beaches, bays,
  307  estuarine systems, and other significant natural systems.
  308         (V) Fails to adequately protect adjacent agricultural areas
  309  and activities, including silviculture, active agricultural and
  310  silvicultural activities, passive agricultural activities, and
  311  dormant, unique, and prime farmlands and soils.
  312         (VI) Fails to maximize use of existing public facilities
  313  and services.
  314         (VII) Fails to maximize use of future public facilities and
  315  services.
  316         (VIII) Allows for land use patterns or timing which
  317  disproportionately increase the cost in time, money, and energy
  318  of providing and maintaining facilities and services, including
  319  roads, potable water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management, law
  320  enforcement, education, health care, fire and emergency
  321  response, and general government.
  322         (IX) Fails to provide a clear separation between rural and
  323  urban uses.
  324         (X) Discourages or inhibits infill development or the
  325  redevelopment of existing neighborhoods and communities.
  326         (XI) Fails to encourage a functional mix of uses.
  327         (XII) Results in poor accessibility among linked or related
  328  land uses.
  329         (XIII) Results in the loss of significant amounts of
  330  functional open space.
  331         b. The future land use element or plan amendment shall be
  332  determined to discourage the proliferation of urban sprawl if it
  333  incorporates a development pattern or urban form that achieves
  334  four or more of the following:
  335         (I) Directs or locates economic growth and associated land
  336  development to geographic areas of the community in a manner
  337  that does not have an adverse impact on and protects natural
  338  resources and ecosystems.
  339         (II) Promotes the efficient and cost-effective provision or
  340  extension of public infrastructure and services.
  341         (III) Promotes walkable and connected communities and
  342  provides for compact development and a mix of uses at densities
  343  and intensities that will support a range of housing choices and
  344  a multimodal transportation system, including pedestrian,
  345  bicycle, and transit, if available.
  346         (IV) Promotes conservation of water and energy.
  347         (V) Preserves agricultural areas and activities, including
  348  silviculture, and dormant, unique, and prime farmlands and
  349  soils.
  350         (VI) Preserves open space and natural lands and provides
  351  for public open space and recreation needs.
  352         (VII) Creates a balance of land uses based upon demands of
  353  the residential population for the nonresidential needs of an
  354  area.
  355         (VIII) Provides uses, densities, and intensities of use and
  356  urban form that would remediate an existing or planned
  357  development pattern in the vicinity that constitutes sprawl or
  358  if it provides for an innovative development pattern such as
  359  transit-oriented developments or new towns as defined in s.
  360  163.3164.
  361         10. The future land use element must shall include a future
  362  land use map or map series.
  363         a. The proposed distribution, extent, and location of the
  364  following uses must shall be shown on the future land use map or
  365  map series:
  366         (I) Residential.
  367         (II) Commercial.
  368         (III) Industrial.
  369         (IV) Agricultural.
  370         (V) Recreational.
  371         (VI) Conservation.
  372         (VII) Educational.
  373         (VIII) Public.
  374         b. The following areas must shall also be shown on the
  375  future land use map or map series, if applicable:
  376         (I) Historic district boundaries and designated
  377  historically significant properties.
  378         (II) Transportation concurrency management area boundaries
  379  or transportation concurrency exception area boundaries.
  380         (III) Multimodal transportation district boundaries.
  381         (IV) Mixed-use categories.
  382         c. The following natural resources or conditions must shall
  383  be shown on the future land use map or map series, if
  384  applicable:
  385         (I) Existing and planned public potable waterwells, cones
  386  of influence, and wellhead protection areas.
  387         (II) Beaches and shores, including estuarine systems.
  388         (III) Rivers, bays, lakes, floodplains, and harbors.
  389         (IV) Wetlands.
  390         (V) Minerals and soils.
  391         (VI) Coastal high hazard areas.
  392         Section 3. Section 163.3191, Florida Statutes, is amended
  393  to read:
  394         163.3191 Evaluation and appraisal of comprehensive plan.—
  395         (1) At least once every 7 years, each local government
  396  shall evaluate its comprehensive plan to determine if plan
  397  amendments are necessary to reflect a minimum planning period of
  398  at least 10 years as provided in s. 163.3177(5) or to reflect
  399  changes in state requirements in this part since the last update
  400  of the comprehensive plan, and notify the state land planning
  401  agency as to its determination. The notification must include a
  402  separate affidavit, signed by the executive officer, attesting
  403  that all elements of its comprehensive plan comply with this
  404  subsection. The affidavit must also include a certification that
  405  the adopted comprehensive plan contains the minimum planning
  406  period of 10 years as provided in 163.3177(5) and must cite the
  407  source and date of the population projections used in
  408  establishing of the 10-year planning period.
  409         (2) If the local government determines amendments to its
  410  comprehensive plan are necessary to reflect changes in state
  411  requirements, the local government shall prepare and transmit
  412  within 1 year such plan amendment or amendments for review
  413  pursuant to s. 163.3184.
  414         (3) Local governments shall are encouraged to
  415  comprehensively evaluate and, as necessary, update comprehensive
  416  plans to reflect changes in local conditions. Plan amendments
  417  transmitted pursuant to this section must shall be reviewed
  418  pursuant to s. 163.3184(4). Updates to the required elements of
  419  the comprehensive plan must be processed in the same plan
  420  amendment cycle. Optional elements of the comprehensive plan may
  421  not be updated until the required elements have been updated,
  422  unless otherwise required by general law.
  423         (4) If a local government fails to submit the its letter
  424  and affidavit prescribed by subsection (1) or update its plan
  425  pursuant to this subsection within 1 year from the date the
  426  letter was transmitted to the state land planning agency (2), it
  427  may not initiate or adopt any publicly initiated plan amendments
  428  to amend its comprehensive plan until such time as it complies
  429  with this section, unless otherwise required by general law.
  430  This prohibition on plan amendments does not apply to privately
  431  initiated plan amendments. The failure of the local government
  432  to timely update its plan shall not be the basis for the denial
  433  of privately initiated comprehensive plan amendments.
  434         (5)If it is determined that a local government has failed
  435  to update its comprehensive plan pursuant to this section, the
  436  state land planning agency shall provide the required population
  437  projections that must be used by the local government to update
  438  the comprehensive plan. The local government shall initiate an
  439  update to its comprehensive plan within 3 months following the
  440  receipt of the population projections and must complete the
  441  update within 12 months. During the update process, the local
  442  government may provide alternative population projections based
  443  on professionally accepted methodologies, but only if those
  444  population projections exceed the population projections
  445  provided by the state land planning agency and only if the
  446  update is completed within the timeframe set forth in this
  447  subsection.
  448         (6)(5) The state land planning agency may not adopt rules
  449  to implement this section, other than procedural rules or a
  450  schedule indicating when local governments must comply with the
  451  requirements of this section.
  452         Section 4. Present paragraphs (b) through (j) of subsection
  453  (2) of section 163.3202, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
  454  paragraphs (d) through (l), respectively, new paragraphs (b) and
  455  (c) are added to that subsection, and present paragraph (g) of
  456  subsection (2) and paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (5) of
  457  that section are amended, to read:
  458         163.3202 Land development regulations.—
  459         (2) Local land development regulations shall contain
  460  specific and detailed provisions necessary or desirable to
  461  implement the adopted comprehensive plan and shall at a minimum:
  462         (b)Establish minimum lot sizes within single-family, two
  463  family, and fee simple, single-family townhouse zoning districts
  464  to accommodate the maximum density authorized in the
  465  comprehensive plan, net of the land area required to be set
  466  aside for subdivision roads, sidewalks, stormwater ponds, open
  467  space, landscape buffers and any other mandatory land
  468  development regulations that require land to be set aside that
  469  could otherwise be used for the development of single-family
  470  homes, two-family homes, and fee-simple, single-family
  471  townhouses.
  472         (c)Establish infill development standards for single
  473  family homes, two-family homes, and fee-simple townhouse
  474  dwelling units to allow for the administrative approval of
  475  development of infill single-family homes, two-family homes, and
  476  fee-simple, single-family townhouses.
  477         (i)(g) Provide that public facilities and services meet or
  478  exceed the standards established in the capital improvements
  479  element required by s. 163.3177 and are available when needed
  480  for the development, or that development orders and permits are
  481  conditioned on the availability of these public facilities and
  482  services necessary to serve the proposed development. A local
  483  government may not issue a development order or permit that
  484  results in a reduction in the level of services for the affected
  485  public facilities below the adopted level of services provided
  486  in the local government’s comprehensive plan. Levels of service
  487  established in a comprehensive plan solely for planning purposes
  488  may not be the basis for the denial of a development order or
  489  permit.
  490         (5)(a) Land development regulations relating to building
  491  design elements may not be applied to a single-family or two
  492  family dwelling unless:
  493         1. The dwelling is listed in the National Register of
  494  Historic Places, as defined in s. 267.021(5); is located in a
  495  National Register Historic District; or is designated as a
  496  historic property or located in a historic district, under the
  497  terms of a local preservation ordinance;
  498         2. The regulations are adopted in order to implement the
  499  National Flood Insurance Program;
  500         3. The regulations are adopted pursuant to and in
  501  compliance with chapter 553;
  502         4. The dwelling is located in a community redevelopment
  503  area, as defined in s. 163.340(10);
  504         5. The regulations are required to ensure protection of
  505  coastal wildlife in compliance with s. 161.052, s. 161.053, s.
  506  161.0531, s. 161.085, s. 161.163, or chapter 373;
  507         6.The dwelling is located in a planned unit development or
  508  master planned community created pursuant to a local ordinance,
  509  resolution, or other final action approved by the local
  510  governing body; or
  511         6.7. The dwelling is located within the jurisdiction of a
  512  local government that has a design review board or an
  513  architectural review board created before January 1, 2020.
  514         (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term:
  515         1. “building design elements” means the external building
  516  color; the type or style of exterior cladding material; the
  517  style or material of roof structures or porches; the exterior
  518  nonstructural architectural ornamentation; the location or
  519  architectural styling of windows or doors; the location or
  520  orientation of the garage; the number and type of rooms; and the
  521  interior layout of rooms. The term does not include the height,
  522  bulk, orientation, or location of a dwelling on a zoning lot; or
  523  the use of buffering or screening to minimize potential adverse
  524  physical or visual impacts or to protect the privacy of
  525  neighbors.
  526         2.“Planned unit development” or “master planned community”
  527  means an area of land that is planned and developed as a single
  528  entity or in approved stages with uses and structures
  529  substantially related to the character of the entire
  530  development, or a self-contained development in which the
  531  subdivision and zoning controls are applied to the project as a
  532  whole rather than to individual lots.
  533         Section 5. Paragraph (g) of subsection (5) of section
  534  163.3246, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  535         163.3246 Local government comprehensive planning
  536  certification program.—
  537         (5) If the local government meets the eligibility criteria
  538  of subsection (2), the state land planning agency shall certify
  539  all or part of a local government by written agreement, which
  540  shall be considered final agency action subject to challenge
  541  under s. 120.569. The agreement must include the following
  542  components:
  543         (g) Criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of the
  544  certification process in achieving the community-development
  545  goals for the certification area, including:
  546         1. Measuring the compactness of growth, expressed as the
  547  ratio between population growth and land consumed;
  548         2. Increasing residential density and intensity intensities
  549  of use;
  550         3. Measuring and reducing vehicle miles traveled and
  551  increasing the interconnectedness of the street system,
  552  pedestrian access, and mass transit;
  553         4. Measuring the balance between the location of jobs and
  554  housing;
  555         5. Improving the housing mix within the certification area,
  556  including the provision of mixed-use neighborhoods, affordable
  557  housing, and the creation of an affordable housing program if
  558  such a program is not already in place;
  559         6. Promoting mixed-use developments as an alternative to
  560  single-purpose centers;
  561         7. Promoting clustered development having dedicated open
  562  space;
  563         8. Linking commercial, educational, and recreational uses
  564  directly to residential growth;
  565         9. Reducing per capita water and energy consumption;
  566         10. Prioritizing environmental features to be protected and
  567  adopting measures or programs to protect identified features;
  568         11. Reducing hurricane shelter deficits and evacuation
  569  times and implementing the adopted mitigation strategies; and
  570         12. Improving coordination between the local government and
  571  school board.
  572         Section 6. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
  573  189.08, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  574         189.08 Special district public facilities report.—
  575         (2) Each independent special district shall submit to each
  576  local general-purpose government in which it is located a public
  577  facilities report and an annual notice of any changes. The
  578  public facilities report shall specify the following
  579  information:
  580         (a) A description of existing public facilities owned or
  581  operated by the special district, and each public facility that
  582  is operated by another entity, except a local general-purpose
  583  government, through a lease or other agreement with the special
  584  district. This description shall include the current capacity of
  585  the facility, the current demands placed upon it, and its
  586  location. This information shall be required in the initial
  587  report and updated every 7 years at least 12 months before the
  588  submission date of the evaluation and appraisal notification
  589  letter of the appropriate local government required by s.
  590  163.3191. The department shall post a schedule on its website,
  591  based on the evaluation and appraisal notification schedule
  592  prepared pursuant to s. 163.3191(6) s. 163.3191(5), for use by a
  593  special district to determine when its public facilities report
  594  and updates to that report are due to the local general-purpose
  595  governments in which the special district is located.
  596         Section 7. Subsection (29) of section 479.01, Florida
  597  Statutes, is amended to read:
  598         479.01 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
  599         (29) “Zoning category” means the designation under the land
  600  development regulations or other similar ordinance enacted to
  601  regulate the use of land as provided in s. 163.3202(2) s.
  602  163.3202(2)(b), which designation sets forth the allowable uses,
  603  restrictions, and limitations on use applicable to properties
  604  within the category.
  605         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.