What is a Comprehensive Development Plan?

Sometimes referred to as a master plan or general plan; the comprehensive development plan is a foundational document of long-term planning and zoning. The comprehensive development plan is both a community engagement process and a broad, long-term vision for future development and redevelopment in the community and surrounding areas and the built environment (roads, sidewalks, infrastructure, schools, etc.). Nebraska State Statutes (N.R.S 19-901) requires that for a city or county to conduct community planning through a Planning Commission and zoning regulations, it first must adopt a comprehensive development plan.

A comprehensive development plan is typically used to plan at a 20-year horizon. This time frame avoids the uncertainty of long-term economic and population growth patterns while avoiding short-term thinking that doesn’t provide a broad enough vision of the community.

One of the major elements of a comprehensive development plan is its Future Land Use Map. This map visually represents where new development should occur for vacant, undeveloped land, and where redevelopment should be encouraged within the entire planning of the City. Other maps typically are found in the comprehensive development plan, such as future road maps, future park plans, and maps related to infrastructure to serve the development.

The Future Land Use map shows land within the City’s planning jurisdiction as a variety of residential, commercial, industrial, or public land use categories. Each land use category shows an aspirational type of development (e.g. low density residential, high-density residential, highway, commercial, etc.) throughout the community. These colored blobs on a map correspond with written policies for each category. These categories list the ideal uses, uses that should be prohibited, development and site characteristics, and any special policies or future regulations that should be considered.

The comprehensive plan’s future land use map and use categories should not be confused with the City’s zoning district map. The comprehensive development plan lays the foundation for the zoning code and its various zoning districts. The zoning code is a separate document that provides a legal tool to implement the vision and policy statements within the comprehensive plan.

Finally, the comprehensive development plan should not be seen as a static document. As the community changes through the years of the plan’s 20-year horizon, so should the comprehensive development plan. Once adopted, the Development Services staff will work with the Community, Planning Commission, and the City Council to annually review development trends, and growth patterns in housing and business to make sure that the plan remains appropriate and relevant. Additionally, the comprehensive development plan can be amended to accommodate unforeseen changes to the development patterns or economy.