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1. Q: What is Comprehensive Planning?
A: Comprehensive Planning can be defined as "a long range course of action for guiding orderly growth and development."
2. Q: Why is good planning important?
A: Good planning is important because the Comprehensive Plan is a 20+ year tool that allows Orange County to guide growth and development. Without good planning, there would not be sound guidelines in place allowing growth to be shaped by adequate facilities and services.
3. Q: How has Orange County done Comprehensive Planning so far?
A: Comprehensive planning in Orange County has been performed under the guidelines of the Comprehensive Policy Plan, which was established in 1991 and has been updated once in 1998 through a vehicle known as "the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR)-based amendments to the Comprehensive Plan." The County is currently in the process of updating the plan to extend to the year 2030.
4. Q: Why is Orange County updating the Comprehensive Plan?
A: Orange County is updating the Comprehensive Plan in accordance with Rule 9J-5. The current Comprehensive Plan covers years 2000-2020.
5. Q: What can you tell me about Orange County's current comprehensive Plan?
A: Orange County's Comprehensive Policy Plan was adopted by the Board of County Commission on July 1, 1991, and has been amended through November 29, 2005. It currently covers the planning period of 2000-2020.
6. Q: What kind of information is the Comprehensive Plan based upon?
A: Rule 9J-5 sets the framework for the required elements of the Comprehensive Plan; however there are many optional elements. The Orange County Comprehensive Policy Plan currently includes 19 elements as follows:
- Future Land Use
- Housing
- Transportation
- Fire Rescue
- Wastewater
- Intergovernmental Coordination
- Potable Water
- Capital Improvements
- Stormwater Management
- International Drive Activity Center
- Solid Waste
- Public Schools
- Conservation
- Neighborhood
- Aquifer Recharge
- Urban Design
- Recreation
- Economic
- Open Space
For each element there is a set of Data and Analysis which sets the framework. To enforce and carry out the information included in the Data and Analysis, there is a separate set of Goals, Objectives and Policies for each element which establishes measurable targets.
7. Q: What are some ways Orange County could develop over the next 20 years?
A: Orange County is challenged with pressure of expanding the Urban Service Area (USA) boundary further eastward past the Econ River. Because this has been a historical dividing line between the urban and rural area, the County is discouraging this expansion. However, to accommodate the growth that is projected to occur, the County must decide if it should move out and expand the USA, or if it should increase/promote a higher floor area ratio (FAR) and increased densities to expand vertically. Ultimately, it is the County's responsibility to promote sound growth and development. The public can play a role in this by helping shape the future of Orange County through involvement in any of the public workshops that will be held within the community or public hearings with the Board of County Commissioners. Check the "Destination 2030" site for upcoming workshops so your voice can be heard!
8. Q: What issues does the Comprehensive Plan address?
A: Issues addressed in the comprehensive plan range from compatibility of uses (i.e., residential and commercial) to how many acres of park land is required based on the population. It promotes intergovernmental coordination among the 13 municipalities and sets the framework for the next 20+ years. The plan includes a Future Land Use Map that shows the location of generalized land uses, such as residential, commercial, and industrial.
9. Q: Can you give me some facts and figures about current conditions Orange County and what they could be like in the year 2030?
A: As of April, 2006, the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) at the University of Florida estimated the total population of Orange County to be 1,079,524. Of that estimate, the unincorporated population totals 697,666 or 65% of the total population. It is projected that by the year 2030, the total population of Orange County will reach 1,797,582.
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Planning Division 
