Growth Management Department

Planning, Zoning, and Land Information

Community Planning Overview

The following is an overview of the Community Planning process, as generally followed by the Growth Management Department of Charlotte County. It is important to emphasize that the direction and scope of any Community Plan is dependent upon the unique community for which it is being developed. Further, “Community Planning” is a relatively new effort within Charlotte County and we, as a County, have inherited a challenging situation with regard to our “platted lands.” The most important caveat to any discussion on “Community Planning” is the recognition that it is in fact a COMMUNITY effort and without the support of the majority little successful change will be realized.

The process generally begins as a result of interested parties (stakeholders) getting together to discuss their community/neighborhood. Often, such discussions are motivated by issues and concerns, but may sometimes include pro-active thoughts such as maintaining or enhancing the existing situation for the benefit of current and future residents. Civic Associations and Homeowner groups are often the “stakeholders” which bring the initial request for a “Community Planning” effort to the County.

When members of a community decide that they wish to pursue a “Community Planning” effort, they are asked to bring forth a written request to their district Commissioner. This document usually contains at least a summary of the motivating factors for making the request. The written document may provide issues of concern as well as examples of assets within the community, which are to be maintained or enhanced.

The Commissioner will forward this request to the Growth Management Department for review and discussion. The Growth Management Department review may sometimes precede the submitted letter to the district Commissioner.

The Board of County Commissioners will make the decision as to which communities will receive funding (towards the development of a “Community Plan”) for a “Community Planning” effort. Generally, this funding is used to pay for the hiring of a consultant. The final written “Plan” may be written in-house, by Growth Management staff, or by the hired consultant.

Choosing the consultant:

Once the Board of County Commissioners provides a budget for a particular community to undergo the “Community Planning” process, County staff drafts a Request for Letters of Interest (RLI). A “RLI” outlines the scope of services the consultant will be asked to perform. It provides a brief description of the community and may highlight some of the community’s concerns (these are gleaned from the initial letter to the Commission), but its main purpose is to outline the responsibilities of County staff and those of the chosen consultant in writing the “Community Plan.” The Growth Management Planning Manager and lead planner review the Letters of Interest submitted and provide a summary and a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners then chooses a consultant.

Based upon the parameters laid out in the “scope of services”/ RLI, the next step is to set up several small scale stakeholder meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to provide staff and the consultant with an outline of the community’s assets and concerns. This is also the appropriate time to establish a mass mailing list of ALL property owners within in the Community planning area.
(side note: All property owners whether or not full time residents or multiple lot owners, have equal voice, in the Community Planning process!)

Majority and minority concerns are to be addressed and represented in both meetings and written documentation.

Several visioning workshops/charrettes are held to solicit community input. Because Charlotte County has a great deal of out-of-state property owners who may not be able to attend local meetings, their input is obtained through email, postal mail, phone calls, and any other documentation they wish to provide. Likewise, ALL property owners will be notified of meetings and sent any supplemental or summary information that is generated throughout the “Community Planning” process.

As the actual written document is drafted, goals, objectives, action items, time-lines, and/or priorities will be created based upon majority support and decision during the visioning process. It is very important to stress that all voices be represented. Although a “steering committee” or “homeowners group” may have brought the community to the Commissioners attention, they are not the only affected stakeholders and are not “setting the Community rules”.

Depending upon the unique characteristics of the community, the information gathering and visioning meetings should take place in 1-6 months. During this time the information will be gathered and shared with all community members, other affected County Department’s such as Public Works and Parks and Recreation, other affected outside agencies such as Florida Department of Transportation, other County governments, etc.

The final written document, whether drafted by County staff or hired consultant, will address the priorities of the majority of the community, reference the minority view, document the process undergone, and provide adequate background and resource information.

Funding:

The funding or implementation responsibilities are not to be of primary concern during the planning process. Funding options and implementation mechanisms can and should be documented in the written document. It will be the responsibility of the ADVISORY COMMITTEE charged with the implementation of the Community Plan, to work with County staff, to further research these items.

Once the community is satisfied with the draft Community Plan, it will go before the Board of County Commissioners for review. Again, it is important to emphasize that the written plan is a flexible document. An Advisory Committee, including a Growth Management Department liaison will need to be put into place to set forth the ordinances, resolutions, and overall priorities the community wishes to have implemented to obtain the long-range Community plan.