Comprehensive Plan Defined
Comprehensive Plans are documents meant to guide decision-making for a city, county or region.
Generally, Comprehensive Plans are future-oriented with horizon years of between twenty or thirty years. Comprehensive Plans analyze the existing conditions of a place and identify what is working well and what could be improved.
A core responsibility of Comprehensive Plans are to create a unified vision for the future of a community.
Public engagement is an important step in outlining a vision for Polk County in the year 2050. Community involvement also helps create community buy-in which makes plan implementation easier and more effective. The County will rely on a mixture of public participation and feedback, research on best practices, and expert analysis to identify goals, priorities and action items to implement the community’s vision for 2050.
Finally, a Comprehensive Plan is not meant to be a static, unchanging document.
Rather, it is recommended that the County review the plan annually to make sure action items are being accomplished and policies followed. Additionally, a formal review of the Comprehensive Plan is recommended once every five years to ensure the plan still reflects the community vision. Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan should be made when there is a significant difference between the goals and recommendations of the plan and the existing conditions of the present.
Key Questions and Considerations:
Comprehensive Plans contain a wide variety of data and take into consideration varying viewpoints from members of the public. All of this information and input can be categorized around three main questions:
Where are we today?
What are the existing conditions today? How does the public rate the quality of life ? What is working well? What needs improvement?
Where do we want to be?
What could be improved and how? What changes do residents and business owners want to see? What would improve the quality of life?
How do we get there?
What steps are necessary to reach desired goals or outcomes? What specific policies and action steps will get Polk County where it wants to go?
Implementation Measures for Comprehensive Plans
The implementation measures or strategies for a Comprehensive Plan fall into three main categories. Click on each category below to see a list of example action items, programs and policies commonly included in Comprehensive Plan implementation.
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- Zoning Ordinance
- Subdivision Regulation
- Building & Housing Code Administration
- Historic Preservation
- Design Guidelines
- Specific Area or Corridor Plans
- Overlay Districts
Above: Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Guideline Diagram
- Capital Improvements Plan (CIP)
- Infrastructure Projects
- Parks & Recreation Improvements
- Municipal & County Facilities
- Transportation Planning
- Transit Infrastructure
- Complete Streets & Traffic Calming
Above: Traffic Calming Examples Diagram
- Public / Private Partnerships
- Redevelopment Agreements
- Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Incentives
- Economic Development Programs
Above: Tax Increment Financing Diagram
Relationship to Zoning
Comprehensive Plans are not legal documents but the creation of a comprehensive plan is the legal justification for zoning ordinances and maps.
Goals, priorities, policies and action items can all be used to defend zoning-related decisions and votes by the County and elected officials. The preferred community layout as identified in the future land use plan can also help justify decisions on zoning and rezoning applications. In short, comprehensive plans are not law but can be useful tools in decision-making for Polk County as it plans for the future. Below are some key items considered when determining zoning-related decisions. These items are all matters addressed in a comprehensive plan.
Adequate provision of Public Services and Infrastructure
Lessen Congestion & Overcrowding of Land
Preserve Environmental and Historical Features
Promote Health and General Welfare of the Community
Provide Adequate Light and Air
Polk County’s Existing Comprehensive Plan
Polk County’s existing Comprehensive Plan was completed in 2006 and had a planning horizon year of 2030. Below are the chapters from the current plan: