RWA was selected to work with Highlands County to develop a Rural Area Plan that includes Comprehensive Plan Goals, Objectives, and Policies (GOP’s) aimed at protecting the rural character of the County. Development of the Highlands County Rural Area Plan was a community-based effort and included the review and analysis of Highland County’s existing natural resources, species habitats, historic and archeological sites, transportation system, and socio-economic data.
Based on the data analysis, Plan was developed to provide appropriate protection measures for environmentally sensitive lands, as well as to protect agricultural and rural land uses, while allowing for the orderly and timely conversion of rural lands to other uses in appropriate locations and establishing transitional area development policies. The recommended GOP’s provide the processes and requirements for landowners to follow and consider when developing property within the County’s rural area. The Rural Area Plan ultimately resulted in Land Development Regulations that detailed a unique, countywide, Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program, rural residential and roadway design standards, mixed use districts, clustering and open space provisions, as well as design guidelines for new towns, urban villages, towns and hamlets. This contract included the development of the Rural Area Plan, submittal of proposed GOP’s to DCA, and assistance with the ORC.
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