The City of Miami Beach Comprehensive Plan is a state mandated document that guides the decisions of the city as it pertains to addressing the needs of existing and future residents and businesses.  The plan provides general regulations for growth, development, infrastructure, housing, parks and recreation, and more.  The Goals, Objectives, and Polices of the Comprehensive Plan are then implemented through more detailed documents such as the Land Development Regulations, City Code, Stormwater Master Plan, or Resiliency Strategy/Strategic Plan.  The Comprehensive Plan and plan amendments are adopted by ordinance per Florida Statute 163, Part II.  All ordinances adopted by the city must be consistent with the standards set within the Comprehensive Plan.   

Presently the City is undergoing an EAR process to update the Comprehensive Plan for consistency with state law and to address changing conditions and needs in the City.  Such updates are required every seven years, pursuant to Section 163.3191, Florida Statutes.  As part of the EAR process, the City is presently working with consultants to gather data and perform analyses on existing conditions and trends in the City.  Other plans and strategies that the City has formulated will be taken into account, including the Stormwater Master Plan, Resiliency Strategy / Strategic Plan (under development), the Transportation Master Plan, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Report. 

As noted in the attached LTC, a public meeting took place on January 28, 2019 to solicit input from residents and stakeholders.  The information obtained at this meeting, as well as any subsequent feedback, will be utilized to determine best practices for policies to incorporate into the Plan, while addressing the needs of residents and other stakeholders.  In the coming months City staff will be drafting specific goals, objectives, and policies that address updates to State Statutes and the changing conditions and needs of the City.  It is expected that a draft set of amendments will be ready for review by the Land Use Committee and the Planning Board in April for their review and recommendation. 

Once the EAR is formally transmitted by the Planning Board, the amendments will be submitted to the City Commission for their review and approval to transmit to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (formerly Department of Community Affairs) and other review agencies.  The city will then work with the review agencies to address any comments or concerns that they may have.    It is anticipated that the amendments will be ready for adoption by the City Commission in the summer or early fall of 2019.