Planning Division

Mission Statement

The mission of the Planning Division is to manage growth and development within the County through the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code in order to protect the natural environment and provide economic stability, residential diversity and recreational opportunities to ensure a sound quality of life for all the residents of St. Johns County.

Program Description

The Planning Division divides its functions among five sections as follows:

• Current Planning
  The Current Planning Section reviews all re-zoning, and major and minor modifications to existing Planned Unit Developments (PUD's), reviews all land development applications under the Development Review Committee, and also reviews land development applications for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. The procedures and appropriate forms for the above applications can be found in the Development Review Manual.

• Long-Range/Comprehensive Planning
  The Long Range/Comprehensive Planning Section serves as the professional planning staff in preparing, and maintaining the County's Comprehensive Plan and is instrumental in implementing studies, programs, and projects required by the Comprehensive Plan.

• Comprehensive Plan
  The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to effectively manage growth and development by designating areas of anticipated future development which satisfy demand where feasible, in a cost-efficient and environmentally acceptable manner.

  Please Note: The Comprehensive Plan links have moved to the Long-Range Comprehensive page.

• Transportation/Concurrency

  The Transportation/Concurrency Section reviews development projects for consistency with transportation planning objectives, and coordinates with other local, state and regional agencies such as the First Coast MPO, Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council, and Florida DOT on transportation issues, and administers the concurrency regulations.

• Environmental

  The Environmental Section reviews all current development applications including single family residential lot development for compliance with the Land Development Code relating to wetland buffers and essential animal habitat. The Environmental Section is also responsible for conduction/managing studies such as the Eagle Management Plan and the Wetland Buffer Study.