What is a Comprehensive Plan?
The Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan is an official public document adopted by the Board of County Commissioners to guide decision making related to the physical development of the county.

• The plan provides the policy direction used in framing land use decision and growth management initiatives.
• The plan is subject to an annual amendment cycle as well as the Evaluation and Appraisal Report requirement every seven years.
• The eleven chapters that comprise the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan include data and maps on existing conditions, analyses of those conditions, and banded on that information, goals objectives, and policies to guide future development and conservation activities.

Active Petitions

State Statues have given local governments the responsibility for coordinating the overall patter of physical development in a community. In order to achieve this coordination, a local government needs a document which establishes long-range, general policies for the physical development of the community.  A comprehensive plan meets this need. The contents of the plan are all-inclusive, general and long range. "All-inclusive" means that the plan addresses all geographical parts of the community and all functional elements that can affect physical development. "General" means that it includes general policies and designations, not detailed regulations. "Long Range" means that the plan looks beyond pressing current issues to the problems and possibilities of years in the future.

Amendments
The Comprehensive Plan can be amended at a special time of year called the yearly amendment cycle.  Amendments can be initiated by private citizens and the county. The Board of County Commissioners may approve an amendment after the State Department of Community Affairs considers the proposed change to be in compliance with state law. The link to "Active Petitions", contains information on the most current cycle of proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendments.