Review of local comprehensive plans, land development regulations, Wekiva River development permits, and amendments.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that Orange, Lake, and Seminole Counties emphasize the Wekiva River Protection Area in their planning and regulation efforts. Therefore, each county’s local comprehensive plan and land development regulations applicable to the Wekiva River Protection Area must meet the following criteria:

(a) Each county’s local comprehensive plan must contain goals, policies, and objectives that result in the protection of the:

1. Water quantity, water quality, and hydrology of the Wekiva River System;

2. Wetlands associated with the Wekiva River System;

3. Aquatic and wetland-dependent wildlife species associated with the Wekiva River System;

4. Habitat within the Wekiva River Protection Area of species designated pursuant to rules 39-27.003, 39-27.004, and 39-27.005, Florida Administrative Code; and

5. Native vegetation within the Wekiva River Protection Area.

(b) The various land uses and densities and intensities of development permitted by the local comprehensive plan shall protect the resources enumerated in paragraph (a) and the rural character of the Wekiva River Protection Area. The plan must also include:

1. Provisions that ensure the preservation of sufficient habitat for feeding, nesting, roosting, and resting so as to maintain viable populations of species designated pursuant to rules 39-27.003, 39-27.004, and 39-27.005, Florida Administrative Code, within the Wekiva River Protection Area.

2. Restrictions on the clearing of native vegetation within the 100-year flood plain.

3. Prohibition of development that is not low-density residential in nature, unless the development has less effect on natural resources than low-density residential development.

4. Provisions for setbacks along the Wekiva River for areas that do not fall within the protection zones established pursuant to s. 373.415.

5. Restrictions on intensity of development adjacent to publicly owned lands to prevent adverse impacts to such lands.

6. Restrictions on filling and alteration of wetlands in the Wekiva River Protection Area.

7. Provisions encouraging clustering of residential development if it promotes protection of environmentally sensitive areas and ensures that residential development in the aggregate is rural in density and character.

(c) The local comprehensive plan must require that the density or intensity of development permitted on parcels of property adjacent to the Wekiva River System be concentrated on those portions of the parcels which are the farthest from the surface waters and wetlands of the Wekiva River System.

(d) The local comprehensive plan must require that parcels of land adjacent to the surface waters and watercourses of the Wekiva River System not be subdivided so as to interfere with the implementation of protection zones as established pursuant to s. 373.415, any applicable setbacks from the surface waters in the Wekiva River System which are established by local governments, or the policy established in paragraph (c) of concentrating development in the Wekiva River Protection Area as far from the surface waters and wetlands of the Wekiva River System as practicable.

(e) The local land development regulations must implement the provisions of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) and must include restrictions on the location of septic tanks and drainfields in the 100-year flood plain and discharges of stormwater to the Wekiva River System.

(2) Each county shall, within 10 days of adopting any necessary amendments to its local comprehensive plan and land development regulations or new land development regulations pursuant to subsection (1), submit them to the department, which shall, within 90 days, review the amendments and any new land development regulations and make a determination.

(3) If the department determines that the local comprehensive plan and land development regulations as amended or supplemented comply with the provisions of subsection (1), the department shall petition the Governor and Cabinet to confirm its determination. If the department determines that the amendments and any new land development regulations that a county has adopted do not meet the criteria established in subsection (1), or the department receives no amendments or new land development regulations and determines that the county’s existing local comprehensive plan and land development regulations do not comply with the provisions of subsection (1), the department shall petition the Governor and Cabinet to order the county to adopt such amendments to its local comprehensive plan or land development regulations or such new land development regulations as it deems necessary to meet the criteria in subsection (1). A determination or petition made by the department pursuant to this subsection shall not be final agency action.

(4) The Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, shall render an order on the petition. Any local government comprehensive plan amendments directly related to the requirements of this subsection and subsections (1), (2), and (3) may be initiated by a local planning agency and considered by the local governing body without regard to statutory or local ordinance limitations on the frequency of consideration of amendments to local comprehensive plans.

(5) In its review of revised comprehensive plans, and in its review of comprehensive plan amendments, the department shall review the local comprehensive plans, and any amendments, which are applicable to portions of the Wekiva River Protection Area for compliance with the provisions of subsection (1) in addition to its review of local comprehensive plans and amendments for compliance as defined in s. 163.3184; and all the procedures and penalties described in s. 163.3184 shall be applicable to this review.

(6) The department may adopt reasonable rules and orders to implement the provisions of this section.