Developments of Regional Impact Process

TCRPC AUTHORITY
Pursuant to Chapter 380, Florida Statutes, Regional Planning Councils are charged with the coordination of multi-jurisdictional agency review of large-scale development projects that may impact more than one county. These projects known as Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) are complex and require input from numerous review agencies and local governments. The following is a brief description of the general stages of the DRI review process.

PREAPPLICATION CONFERENCE
Upon determining that a project will be a DRI, the applicant contacts TCRPC staff to arrange a preapplication conference. The applicant must request a preapplication meeting in writing. The applicant should provide a brief summary of the project three weeks prior to the scheduled conference. TCRPC staff mails a copy of the project summary to the reviewing agencies, local government of jurisdiction, and other affected local governments in the area two weeks before the meeting.

The conference gives the applicant the opportunity to describe the project to all the reviewing agencies, identify the issues, and respond to agency questions. It is at this time TCRPC staff, in consultation with the various governmental agencies and local governments, determines what portions of the Application for Development Approval (ADA) the applicant will be required to complete. A particular issue may require a more technical and detailed discussion, in particular, the transportation section of the ADA. A separate technical methodology meeting is usually held after the general preapplication conference to discuss this issue in more detail. The preapplication conference may be more than one meeting over a period of a number of days to ensure agreement on all the issues to be addressed in the ADA and the methodology to address those issues.

TCRPC has determined that planning in the public is important in the DRI review process and has modified its preapplication process to incorporate a Community Workshop. The Community Workshop is an event designed to create the following:

	1) an exchange of information about the property, the project, and about issues of importance to the residents of the surrounding communities
	2) to explore ways to accommodate the proposed DRI development program on the property and to integrate it with surrounding areas

Following the preapplication conference, TCRPC staff prepares a preapplication conference summary. The summary is submitted to the applicant, all review agencies, and local governments invited to the preapplication conference within 35 days of the final meeting of the preapplication conference. The applicant, review agencies, and local governments have fourteen days to respond with comments. A revised preapplication conference summary will be submitted if necessary. TCRPC staff will then execute a letter of agreement to delete questions with the applicant. These documents ensure that the applicant and TCRPC staff are in agreement as to the specific information that will be required for inclusion in the ADA.

PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
Where the applicant may want to begin work on a portion of the project prior to issuance of a development order (DO), the applicant may enter into a Preliminary Development Agreement (PDA) with the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Upon receipt of such a request, the DCA typically requests comments from TCRPC and other review agencies. If there are no concerns with the proposal, the DCA may issue the PDA subject to guidelines specified in Section 380.06(8), Florida Statutes. The applicant may request a PDA anytime during the review process.

ADA SUBMISSION AND REVIEW
Once the applicant has compiled all required information, the ADA is submitted to TCRPC staff, other review agencies, and local governments. TCRPC staff, the review agencies, and local governments have 30 days to review the ADA and request additional information. Following the review of the initial information supplied in the ADA, TCRPC staff prepares a request for additional information, if needed, and sends it to the applicant, review agencies, and local governments. The request includes questions from staff as well as questions from the other review agencies and local governments. Upon receipt of the request for additional information, the applicant has 5 days to inform TCRPC and the local government whether additional information will be provided. If the applicant intends to provide additional information, they have 120 days to do so. Pursuant to Section 380.06(10)(b), Florida Statutes, TCRPC may request additional information no more than twice, unless the developer waives the limitation.

FINDING OF SUFFICIENCY
Once the ADA is deemed sufficient for review, TCRPC staff notifies the local government that it may schedule a public hearing to consider a DO for the project. Following the sufficiency notice from the TCRPC, the local government shall set the public hearing at its next scheduled meeting. The local government shall publish the notice 60 days in advance of the public hearing, and the hearing shall be held no later than 90 days after issuance of the notice by the TCRPC unless the applicant requests an extension.

ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT IMPACTS
Within 50 days after receipt of the notice of public hearing from the local government, TCRPC staff prepares a draft impact assessment report for TCRPC’s consideration. After TCRPC’s action, the assessment report is transmitted to the local government for its consideration in preparing the final DO.

DEVELOPMENT ORDER (DO) ADOPTION--The local government adopts a DO at the public hearing taking into consideration TCRPC’s findings and recommendations and renders a copy of the DO to the TCRPC, the DCA, and the applicant/landowner. The DCA and the applicant/landowner have 45 days from the rendering date to appeal the DO to the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.

DEVELOPMENT ORDER APPEAL PERIOD--During the 45-day appeal period, TCRPC staff reviews the DO for consistency with TCRPC recommendations and consistency with statutory requirements. Staff reports its findings to the TCRPC along with a recommendation to advise the DCA whether to appeal or not appeal the adopted DO. If there is no appeal within the 45-day appeal period, the DO takes effect. If an appeal is filed, the DO takes effect following the resolution of the appeal.

DRI FEE RULE

View 9J-2.0252 Development of Regional Impact Review Fee Rule

Substantial Deviation $35,000
Notice of Proposed Change (NOPC) $2,500
Annual Report $250

APPLICATION FOR DEVLEOPMENT APPROVAL RMP-BSP-ADA-1

You can down load this application at:

http://www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/dcp/Procedures/adalong.pdf

MAP OF DRIs IN THE REGION

SUMMARY OF RECENT DRIs IN THE REGION

RECENT DRI ASSESSMENT REPORTS