Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR)

The State Growth Management Act requires that local governments periodically review and update their adopted Comprehensive Plans according to a schedule established by State statute.The City of Port Orange EAR is due to be adopted on or before February 1, 2009. The Planning and Development Division will be beginning the process of updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan to meet State requirements this summer.

The periodic amendment process, which occurs once every seven years, is a two-phase process. It begins with the preparation of an EAR and ends with the adoption of the EAR-based amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. The EAR evaluates the performance of the various Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. It assesses the successes and shortcomings of the various Goals, Objectives, Policies and programs included within the plan, and it provides recommendations for necessary changes. Additionally, the EAR provides an opportunity to identify major issues in a community and evaluate how effective the Comprehensive Plan has been in addressing these issues.

The recommendations contained in the EAR become the basis of proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. These EAR-based amendments, once adopted by the City Council and found in compliance with the Chapter 163, F.S., then become part of the Goals, Objectives and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan until the next EAR is prepared in seven years.

Tentative EAR Schedule (pdf format)

Public Participation
Planning and Development will notify the public of workshops through notices in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, PogTV, and updates to this webpage. Your participation and full cooperation in this process is strongly encouraged and valued.Thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

January 23rd Joint Workshop with the City Council and Planning Commission
On January 23, 2007, a joint workshop was held in the Council Chambers with the City Council and the Planning Commission. The purpose of the workshop was to review the 1 st Draft EAR Major Issues List, which was established internally by staff. The Council and Commission discussed the various issues identified and provide comments and suggestions.

March 7 th Public Workshop Summary
Twenty-seven participants attended the EAR public workshop held on March 7, 2007, at the Port Orange Regional Library. The workshops began with a presentation describing the EAR process and schedule, background data regarding the past planning period, population growth, and changes in land area. A discussion of the 1 st Draft EAR Issues List followed, which was established internally by staff. It was explained that the list was a draft to be modified through the public workshops and scoping meeting processes. The participants broke into small group discussions, with a facilitator and recorder from the City, to review and possibly modify the initial draft issues list and add any additional issues to the list. Towards the end of the workshops the participants prioritized the top four issues.

May 3 rd Review Agencies Scoping Meeting
A Review Agencies Scoping Meeting was held on May 3, 2007; in accordance with 163.191(3) F.S. Five representatives of various review agencies, in addition to seven City staff members, attended the scoping meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to ensure that all important issues were identified, agree on the subject matter of the EAR, and gather additional information and ideas. The result of the meeting was a revised 3 rd draft issues list.

The revised issues list was presented to the Planning Commission at a public hearing on June 28, 2007, and subsequently to the City Council at a public hearing on July 17, 2007, in the form of a draft Letter of Understanding (LOU) between the City of Port Orange and the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Once approved by DCA, the LOU will in a sense become a “contract” between the City and DCA, an understanding which the City EAR will be evaluated against when DCA determines whether the EAR is sufficient.

EAR Letter of Understanding (LOU) Between Port Orange and DCA (pdf format)
DCA's Response to the City's LOU (pdf format)

Related information
Comprehensive Plan (pdf format)

Send EAR questions and/or comments to:

Penelope Cruz, Senior Planner
pcruz@port-orange.org