Comprehensive Plan

The City of Greenacres has adopted a Comprehensive Plan, which provides a guide for the future development of the City with a series of goals, objectives, and policies.  These directives establish a framework for development-related regulatory, administrative, and financial activities of the City.

The directives focus on the following:

• Future Land Use
• Transportation
• Housing
• Conservation
• Recreation and Open Space
• Intergovernmental Coordination
• Capital Improvements
• Annexation
• Infrastructure

The above directives are based on data analysis and comments from a variety of sources.  The directives have been reviewed by state and regional agencies to help ensure compliance with state requirements.

An important component of the comprehensive plan is a future land use map which assigns parcels one of the following land use designations:

• Single Family Low Density Residential
• Single Family Medium Density Residential
• Multiple Family Medium Density Residential
• Multiple Family High Density Residential
• Mobile Home Medium Density Residential
• Office-Residential
• Commercial General
• Industrial Business
• Airport Expansion
• Institutional
• Conservation
• Recreation
• Utilities
• Mixed Use

Directives in the comprehensive plan indicate the general characteristics of the development allowed in each of these land use designations.

Land Use Element:  The purpose of the Land Use Element is to ensure that the character and location of land uses is efficient, incorporate best management practices, principles of resource conservation and compact development, promote orderly land use transitions and human-scaled growth, and minimizes threats to health, safety, and welfare that may be associated with incompatible land uses, environmental degradation, hazards, and nuisances.  Another purpose of this element is to maintain and manage a Future Land Use Map which reflects City policy for managing the allocation of Future Land Use.  The Land Use Element also specifies the continuation to monitor and evaluate development and resource conservation within the City pursuant to goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element and carry out an effective implementation program.

Transportation Element:  The purpose of the Traffic Circulation Element is to plan and provide for a safe, convenient, and energy efficient multimodal transportation system. This system corresponds to and supports the City's vision for its future by addressing livability, economic, and environmental community needs.

Housing Element:  The goals, objectives, and policies of the housing element are to allocate land area for accommodating a supply of housing responsive to the diverse housing needs of the existing and projected future city population.  The housing element also assists the private sector in providing affordable quality housing in neighborhoods protected from incompatible uses located in proximity to employment and commercial services served by adequate public facilities.

Public Facilities Element:  The public facilities section ensures the protection of the potable water supply and delivery of safe and adequate potable water service.  This service shall be managed in a cost-effective manner to accommodate existing and future development.

Conservation Element:  The intent of this element is to conserve, protect and appropriately manage the natural resources within the corporate limits of the city.  This conservation effort enhances the quality of natural systems as well as associated floodplains, wetlands, flora and fauna, the surface and Floridian aquifer, and other natural resources. 

Recreation and Open Space Element:  The design of this element is to ensure provision of a comprehensive system of recreation facilities and open space sites that meet the needs of existing and projected user groups within the City.

Intergovernmental Coordination Element:  The City shall undertake actions necessary to establish governmental relationships designed to improve the coordination of public and private entities involved in development activities, growth management, and resource conservation.

Infrastructure Element:  This element establishes that the City shall undertake actions necessary to adequately provide needed public facilities within the City's jurisdiction in a manner which protects investments and existing facilities, maximizes the use of existing facilities, and promotes orderly compact growth.

Annexation Element:  The intent of this element is to provide a proper planning approach to enable the City to resolve a multitude of problems associated with the existing situation of enclaves and pocket areas; avoid future inter-jurisdictional incompatibilities; and growth in a manner that eliminates finger patterns and "leapfrog" linear extensions.