Longboat Key receives approval for latest revisions to comprehensive plan

After two and a half years of diligent effort, the town of Longboat Key has received official approval for a comprehensive revision of its plan. The Florida Department of Commerce notified the town staff via email on July 18 that the new plan complies with state requirements. In Florida, local governments must update their comprehensive plans at least every seven years.

David Lapovsky, Chair of the Planning & Zoning Board, recently began his second term and fifth year on the board. He assumed the chair position in May after former chair David Green relocated from Longboat Key. Lapovsky praised Green's leadership during the revision process.

“David Green, whom I replaced, did a masterful job of shepherding this through board review, and the staff did an unbelievable job of keeping a very complicated process on track,” Lapovsky said.

A comprehensive plan sets guidelines for future land use, mobility, infrastructure, and recreation in a local municipality. Housing, a significant component, was straightforward for Longboat Key since it is mostly built out, according to Lapovsky.

The Planning & Zoning Board addressed one or two areas at a time through a series of workshops. For each area, the board identified goals, objectives, priorities, and strategies, forming a framework for the revisions.

The Planning & Zoning Board, along with the Planning, Zoning, and Building Department staff, submitted the revisions in batches for commission approval. Once the entire comprehensive plan was revised, the town submitted it to the Florida Department of Commerce.

Lapovsky noted that the board spent considerable time discussing climate issues, particularly how sea level rise would impact future land use.

Keeping comprehensive plans up to date is crucial for maintaining a community’s vision. Conversations around climate change and sea level rise have become more prominent in this latest revision, Lapovsky said.

The comprehensive plan also provides guidance on development, reflecting the community's opposition to high-rise developments along Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Any future site development plans on the island will be evaluated against the town’s comprehensive plan to ensure compliance with the community’s vision.

“It’s the roadmap, really, the guiding principles of what we want our community to be in terms of the decisions that we make that affect the health, safety, appearance, and mobility of our community,” Lapovsky said.