Comprehensive Plans
Examples and Resources
Bozeman 2020 Community Plan, Land Use (2001)
Anticipating that a projected doubling of its present population during the next twenty years will cause added land use pressure, this Montana city aims: “To inject long-range considerations into the determination of short-range actions.” Starting with the common theme of residents’…
Washington State, Comprehensive Plans, Mandatory Elements, (1995)
Washington State, the comprehensive plan of a county or city must include, among other items, a plan, scheme, or design for each of the following: (1) an element for the protection of the quality and quantity of ground water and a review of drainage, flooding, and storm water run-off (2) in rural…
Rhode Island Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Act
Rhode Island requires “all municipal land use decisions shall be in conformance with the approved municipal comprehensive plan.” This means that each city and town must conform their zoning regulations to their comprehensive plan, allowing for criteria for the issuance of a special permit. Once…
Vernon, CT Plan of Conservation and Development (2001)
With a population of nearly 30,000, Vernon’s Comp Plan outlines as its goals: limits on retail sprawl development; an emphasis on building reuse as opposed to vacant land development; the protection of the town’s lakes, rivers, and groundwater; and the preservation of land with a goal to preserve…
Regulating Big Box Stores: The Proper Use of the City or County’s Police Power (2005)
An introductory article by a land use lawyer about the importance of Comp Plans. Should you wind up in court fighting a developer or a town board, a detailed Comp Plan can make the difference between winning and losing. Although not all states give them the same weight, Comp Plans are an important…
Skaneateles, New York, Joint Comprehensive Plan (2005)
Anticipating future land use pressures, Skaneateles’ key goal is “to protect those scenic and environmental qualities that distinguish this area and maintain(s) the local economic base.” Recognizing the phenomenon of sprawl, even in areas experiencing little population growth, the town seeks…
Town of Ballston, N.Y. Draft Comprehensive Plan (2005)
Citing obesity studies, safety issues, and quality of life concerns, Ballston makes the case for prioritizing pedestrians over cars in mixed-use zones. For other commercially zoned areas, the plan suggests a 60,000 s.f. building cap. It also specifies “performance standards for noise, light, vibration,…
City of Hailey, Idaho, Comprehensive Plan
The stated purpose of Hailey comp plan is “to ensure that expansion of the community in the future retains, enhances, and creates the kind of place prized by the people who live here.” With the overarching goal of “the creation of community rather than the mere development of land,” it calls…
St. Petersburg, FL. City of St. Petersburg Comprehensive Plan
Good example of a city’s comprehensive plan. The city’s land use goals are stated clearly, and refers protecting and enhancing neighborhoods, and to the “density and intensity” of development: “The land use plans shall direct and manage the type, distribution, density and intensity of development…
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