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Comprehensive Plan Amendment Information

Welcome to the Palm Beach County Plan Amendment Activity page. A key function of the Planning Division is to manage changes to the County’s Comprehensive Plan through the amendment process.

 

The County processes several rounds of amendments to the Comprehensive Plan per year with intakes scheduled four time per year.  The Amendment Process Summary summarizes the amendment process.

 

Amendment Schedules - Amendment schedules for active and upcoming amendment rounds are posted online at the links below.

 2023 Schedules

 2024 Schedules

Amendment Processing - Amendments are subject to the following:

  • Public Hearing Scheduling
    • Submitting an application on any intake date will not guarantee that the amendment will be processed within the associated "round" throughout the amendment process.
      • The public hearing for amendments with a zoning application that has been submitted during the amendment process will be administratively scheduled to coincide with the zoning applications.
      • Any revisions to an amendment application submitted by the applicant after the sufficiency period will result in administrative delay of the public hearings
  • Small Scale Amendments
    • The process for the adoption of Small Scale Amendments is established by Section 163.3187(1), Florida Statutes, and is optional for local governments.
    • The County accepts applications for Small Scale Amendments four times per year.
    • All Small Scale Amendments require a concurrent zoning application.
    • In order to be processed as a Small Scale Amendment, the site must meet the following criteria, as outlined in the Introduction & Administration Element of the Comprehensive Plan:
      • The parcel must consist of a lot (or lots) which do not exceed a total of 10 acres in size (including all land necessary to support the proposed use including land necessary for drainage);
      • The parcel is located within the Urban Service Area Boundary; and
      • The request is not to move the boundary of any tier.
    • The public hearing dates for Small Scale Amendments are held following certification of the concurrent zoning application, typically with the Planning Commission hearing held the month following certification, and the Zoning Commission and BCC hearings held the following month.
  • Large Scale Amendments
    • The County accepts applications for Large Scale Amendments on two intake dates per year.
  • Private Text Amendments
    • The Planning Division will not process a proposed amendment that violates a "Shall Not" policy of the Comprehensive Plan. If the proposed amendment violates a "Shall Not" policy, the applicant may propose a private Text Amendment to revise the associated policy.
    • All Private Text Amendments will be processed as Large Scale amendments and require an associated FLUA application.
    • Private Text Amendments must be directly related to the proposed FLUA amendment or Development Order and limited to the subject site per the Introduction and Administration Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
    • Private Text Amendments that require a ULDC change to implement the request require the submittal of a Private Initiated Amendment (PIA) to the Zoning Division. The scheduling of the BCC consideration for the private Plan amendment and PIA will be scheduled concurrently.

 

Amendment Application - The Comprehensive Plan Amendment Application for Future Land Use Atlas (FLUA) Amendments and Text & Map Series Amendments, along with Tier changes, can be found on the Amendment Application page. Private Text Amendment requests are only available through the Large Scale amendment process and with an associated Large Scale FLUA Amendment, and are limited to two amendment rounds per year.       
 

Proposed Amendments - Public Hearing Notices - Each submitted amendment application is summarized on the Active Amendments page. Proposed FLUA Amendments are proposed to change the future land use designation. These sites are posted with Public Notice signs during the amendment process and property owners within 500 feet (1,000 feet within the Exurban and Rural Tiers) receive a notification by mail within 30 days of the first public hearing. Information is provided by clicking the various links on this page.       
 

Public Hearings - Agendas & Staff Reports - Proposed amendments are presented at a Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioner (BCC) public hearings. Small Scale amendments are subject to one BCC hearing, and Large Scale Amendments are subject to two public hearings. The Planning Commission page and the BCC Agendas and Minutes page provides the associated public hearing agendas & staff reports approximately one week prior to each public hearing.
 

State Review- Staff Reports - Following Large Scale Amendment public hearings, the proposed amendments transmitted by the BCC are posted on the Active Amendments page and forwarded to the State Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other State agencies for review. Following receipt of comments, the amendments are scheduled for a second and final BCC public hearing. The BCC Agendas and Minutes page provides the public hearing agendas and staff reports approximately one week prior to each public hearing.

  

Adopted Amendment Ordinances - Proposed amendments are adopted by Ordinance. Adopted ordinances & final staff reports are posted approximately one week after each adoption public hearing on the Amendments & Ordinances page.