§ 1013.30 — University campus master plans and campus development agreements

Florida § 1013.30

• Jurisdiction: Florida
• Title: XLVIII
• Ch. 1013: EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

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(1) This section contains provisions for campus planning and concurrency management that supersede the requirements of part II of chapter 163, except when stated otherwise in this section. These special growth management provisions are adopted in recognition of the unique relationship between university campuses and the local governments in which they are located. While the campuses provide research and educational benefits of statewide and national importance, and further provide substantial educational, economic, and cultural benefits to their host local governments, they may also have an adverse impact on the public facilities and services and natural resources of host governments. On balance, however, universities should be considered as vital public facilities of the state and local governments. The intent of this section is to address this unique relationship by providing for the preparation of campus master plans and associated campus development agreements.

(2) As used in this section: (a) “Affected local government” means a unit of local government that provides public services to or is responsible for maintaining facilities within a campus of an institution or is directly affected by development that is proposed for a campus. (b) “Affected person” means a host local government; an affected local government; any state, regional, or federal agency; or a person who resides, owns property, or owns or operates a business within the boundaries of a host local government or affected local government. In order to qualify under this definition, each person, other than a host or affected local government, must have submitted oral or written comments, recommendations, or objections to the university during the period of time beginning with the advertisement of the first public hearing under subsection (6) and ending with the adoption of the campus master plan or plan amendment. If the plan or plan amendment is amended at the adoption hearing, the time period shall be extended by 7 calendar days. However, any comments, recommendations, or objections filed during the extension must be limited to those amendments adopted at the adoption hearing. (c) “Host local government” means a local government within the jurisdiction of which all or part of a campus of an institution is located, but does not include a county if no part of an institution is located within its unincorporated area. (d) “Institution” means a university. (e) “Division” means the Division of Administrative Hearings.

(3) Each university board of trustees shall prepare and adopt a campus master plan for the university and maintain a copy of the plan on the university’s website. The master plan must identify general land uses and address the need for and plans for provision of roads, parking, public transportation, solid waste, drainage, sewer, potable water, and recreation and open space during the coming 10 to 20 years. The plans must contain elements relating to future land use, intergovernmental coordination, capital improvements, recreation and open space, general infrastructure, housing, and conservation. Each element must address compatibility with the surrounding community. The master plan must identify specific land uses, general location of structures, densities and intensities of use, and contain standards for onsite development, site design, environmental management, and the preservation of historic and archaeological resources. The transportation element must address reasonable transportation demand management techniques to minimize offsite impacts where possible. Data and analyses on which the elements are based must include, at a minimum: the characteristics of vacant lands; projected impacts of development on onsite and offsite infrastructure, public services, and natural resources; student enrollment projections; student housing needs; and the need for academic and support facilities. Master plans must be updated at least every 10 years.

(4) Campus master plans may contain additional elements at the discretion of the Board of Governors; however, such elements are not subject to review under this section. These additional elements may include the academic mission of the institution, academic program, utilities, public safety, architectural design, landscape architectural design, and facilities maintenance.

(5) Subject to the right of the university board of trustees to initiate the dispute resolution provisions of subsection (8), a campus master plan must not be in conflict with the comprehensive plan of the host local government and the comprehensive plan of any affected local governments. A campus master plan must be consistent with the state comprehensive plan.

(6) Before a campus master plan is adopted, a copy of the draft master plan must be sent for review or made available electronically to the host and any affected local governments, the state land planning agency, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Department of State, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the applicable water management district and regional planning council. At the request of a governmental entity, a hard copy of the draft master plan shall be submitted within 7 business days of an electronic copy being made available. These agencies must be given 90 days after receipt of the campus master plans in which to conduct their review and provide comments to the university board of trustees. The commencement of this review period must be advertised in newspapers of general circulation within the host local government and any affected local government to allow for public comment. Following receipt and consideration of all comments and the holding of an informal information session and at least two public hearings within the host jurisdiction, the university board of trustees shall adopt the campus master plan. It is the intent of the Legislature that the university board of trustees comply with the notice requirements set forth in s. 163.3184(11) to ensure full public participation in this planning process. The informal public information session must be held before the first public hearing. The first public hearing shall be held before the draft master plan is sent to the agencies specified in this subsection. The second public hearing shall be held in conjunction with the adoption of the draft master plan by the university board of trustees. Campus master plans developed under this section are not rules and are not subject to chapter 120 except as otherwise provided in this section.

(7) Notice that the campus master plan has been adopted must be forwarded within 45 days after its adoption to any affected person that submitted comments on the draft campus master plan. The notice must state how and where a copy of the master plan may be obtained or inspected. Within 30 days after receipt of the notice of adoption of the campus master plan, or 30 days after the date the adopted plan is available for review, whichever is later, an affected person who submitted comments on the draft master plan may petition the university board of trustees, challenging the campus master plan as not being in compliance with this section or any rule adopted under this section. The petition must state each objection, identify its source, and provide a recommended action. A petition filed by an affected local government may raise only those issues directly pertaining to the public facilities or services that the affected local government provides to or maintains within the campus or to the direct impact that campus development would have on the affected local government. A petition filed by an affected person must include those items required by the uniform rules adopted under s. 120.54(5). Any affected person who files a petition under this subsection may challenge only those provisions in the plan that were raised by that person’s oral or written comments, recommendations, or objections presented to the university board of trustees, as required by paragraph (2)(b). The university may, during the pendency of a challenge, negotiate a campus development agreement as provided in subsection (11).

(8) Following receipt of a petition challenging a campus master plan or plan amendment, the university board of trustees must submit the petition to the Division of Administrative Hearings of the Department of Management Services for assignment to an administrative law judge under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. (a) If a party to the proceeding requests mediation, the parties have no more than 30 days to resolve any issue in dispute. The costs of the mediation must be borne equally by all of the parties to the proceeding. (b) If the matter is not resolved within 30 days, the administrative law judge shall proceed with a hearing under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. The hearing shall be held in the county where the campus of the university subject to the amendment is located. Within 60 days after receiving the petition, the administrative law judge must, consistent with the applicable requirements and procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act, hold a hearing, identify the issues remaining in dispute, prepare a record of the proceedings, and submit a recommended order to the state land planning agency for final action. Parties to the proceeding may submit written exceptions to the recommended order within 10 days after the recommended order is issued. The state land planning agency must issue its final order no later than 60 days after receiving the recommended order. (c) The final order of the state land planning agency is subject to judicial review as provided in s. 120.68. (d) The signature of an attorney or party constitutes a certificate that he or she has read the pleading, motion, or other paper and that, to the best of his or her knowledge, information, and belief formed after reasonable inquiry, it is not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay, or for economic advantage, competitive reasons, frivolous purposes, or needless increase in the cost of litigation. If a pleading, motion, or other paper is signed in violation of these requirements, the division, upon motion or its own initiative, shall impose upon either the person who signed it or a represented party, or both, an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of reasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the pleading, motion, or other paper, including reasonable attorney’s fees.

(9) An amendment to a campus master plan must be reviewed and adopted under subsections (6)-(8) if such amendment, alone or in conjunction with other amendments, would: (a) Increase density or intensity of use of land on the campus by more than 10 percent; (b) Decrease the amount of natural areas, open space, or buffers on the campus by more than 10 percent; or (c) Rearrange land uses in a manner that will increase the impact of any proposed campus development by more than 10 percent on a road or on another public facility or service provided or maintained by the state, the county, the host local government, or any affected local government.

(10) Upon adoption of a campus master plan, the university board of trustees shall draft a proposed campus development agreement for each local government and send it to the local government within 270 days after the adoption of the relevant campus master plan.

(11) At a minimum, each campus development agreement: (a) Must identify the geographic area of the campus and local government covered by the campus development agreement. (b) Must establish its duration, which must be at least 5 years and not more than 10 years. (c) Must address public facilities and services including roads, sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, parks and recreation, and public transportation. (d) Must, for each of the facilities and services listed in paragraph (c), identify the level-of-service standard established by the applicable local government, identify the entity that will provide the service to the campus, and describe any financial arrangements between the Board of Governors and other entities relating to the provision of the facility or service. (e) Must, for each of the facilities and services listed in paragraph (c), determine the impact of existing and proposed campus development reasonably expected over the term of the campus development agreement on each service or facility and any deficiencies in such service or facility which the proposed campus development will create or to which it will contribute. (f) May, if proposed by the university board of trustees, address the issues prescribed in paragraphs (d) and (e) with regard to additional facilities and services, including, but not limited to, electricity, nonpotable water, law enforcement, fire and emergency rescue, gas, and telephone. (g) Must, to the extent it addresses issues addressed in the campus master plan and host local government comprehensive plan, be consistent with the adopted campus master plan and host local government comprehensive plan.

(12)(a) Each proposed campus development agreement must clearly identify the lands to which the university board of trustees intends the campus development agreement to apply. (b) Such land may include: 1. Land to be purchased by the university board of trustees and if purchased with state appropriated funds titled in the name of the board of trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for use by an institution over the life of the campus development agreement. 2. Land not owned by the board of trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund if the university board of trustees intends to undertake development activities on the land during the term of the campus development agreement. (c) Land owned by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for lease to the Board of Governors acting on behalf of the institution may be excluded, but any development activity undertaken on excluded land is subject to part II of chapter 163.

(13) With regard to the impact of campus development on the facilities and services listed in paragraph (11)(c), the following applies: (a) All improvements to facilities or services which are necessary to eliminate the deficiencies identified in paragraph (11)(e) must be specifically listed in the campus development agreement. (b) The university board of trustees’ fair share of the cost of the measures identified in paragraph (a) must be stated in the campus development agreement. In determining the fair share, the effect of any demand management techniques, which may include such techniques as flexible work hours and carpooling, that are used by the Board of Governors to minimize the offsite impacts shall be considered. (c) The university board of trustees is responsible for paying the fair share identified in paragraph (b), and it may do so by: 1. Paying a fair share of each of the improvements identified in paragraph (a); or 2. Taking on full responsibility for the improvements, selected from the list of improvements identified in paragraph (a), and agreed to between the host local government and the Board of Governors, the total cost of which equals the contribution identified in paragraph (b). (d) All concurrency management responsibilities of the university board of trustees are fulfilled if the university board of trustees expends the total amount of funds identified in paragraph (b) notwithstanding that the university board of trustees may not have undertaken or made contributions to some of the measures identified in paragraph (a). (e) Capital projects included in the campus development agreement may be used by the local government for the concurrency management purposes. (f) Funds provided by universities in accordance with campus development agreements are subject to appropriation by the Legislature. A development authorized by a campus development agreement may not be built until the funds to be provided pursuant to paragraph (b) are appropriated by the Legislature.

(14) A campus development agreement may not address or include any standards or requirements for onsite development, including environmental management requirements or requirements for site preparation.

(15) Once the university board of trustees and host local government agree on the provisions of the campus development agreement, the campus development agreement shall be executed by the university board of trustees and the host local government in a manner consistent with the requirements of s. 163.3225. Once the campus development agreement is executed, it is binding upon the university board of trustees and host local government. A copy of the executed campus development agreement must be sent to the state land planning agency within 14 days after the date of execution.

(16) If, within 180 days following the host local government’s receipt of the proposed campus development agreement, the university board of trustees and host local government cannot reach agreement on the provisions of the campus development agreement, the following procedures for resolving the matter must be followed: (a) The matter must be submitted to the state land planning agency, which has 60 days to hold informal hearings, if necessary. (b) In deciding upon a proper resolution, the state land planning agency shall consider the nature of the issues in dispute, the compliance of the parties with this section, the extent of the conflict between the parties, the comparative hardships, and the public interest involved. In resolving the matter, the state land planning agency may prescribe, by order, the contents of the campus development agreement.

(17) Disputes that arise in the implementation of an executed campus development agreement must be resolved as follows: (a) Each party shall select one mediator and notify the other in writing of the selection. Thereafter, within 15 days after their selection, the two mediators selected by the parties shall select a neutral, third mediator to complete the mediation panel. (b) Each party is responsible for all costs and fees payable to the mediator selected by it and shall equally bear responsibility for the costs and fees payable to the third mediator for services rendered and costs expended in connection with resolving disputes pursuant to the campus development agreement. (c) Within 10 days after the selection of the mediation panel, proceedings must be convened by the panel to resolve the issues in dispute. (d) Within 60 days after the convening of the panel, the panel shall issue a report containing a recommended resolution of the issues in dispute. (e) If either the university board of trustees or local government rejects the recommended resolution of the issues in dispute, the disputed issues must be resolved pursuant to the procedures provided by subsection (16).

(18) Once the campus development agreement is executed, all campus development may proceed without further review by the host local government if it is consistent with the adopted campus master plan and associated campus development agreement.

(19) A campus development agreement may be amended under subsections (10)-(16): (a) In conjunction with any amendment to the campus master plan subject to the requirements in subsection (9). (b) If either party delays by more than 12 months the construction of a capital improvement identified in the agreement.

(20) Any party to a campus development agreement or aggrieved or adversely affected person, as defined in s. 163.3215(2), may file an action for injunctive relief in the circuit court where the host local government is located to enforce the terms of a campus development agreement or to challenge compliance of the agreement with this section. This action shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of an adversely affected person other than a party to the agreement to enforce any rights or obligations arising from a development agreement.

(21) State and regional environmental program requirements remain applicable, except that this section supersedes all other sections of part II of chapter 163 and s. 380.06 except as provided in this section.

(22) In consultation with the state land planning agency, the Board of Governors shall adopt a single, uniform set of regulations to administer subsections (3)-(6). The regulations must set specific schedules and procedures for the development and adoption of campus master plans. Before adopting the regulations, the Board of Governors must obtain written verification from the state land planning agency that the regulations satisfy the minimum statutory criteria required by subsections (3)-(6). The state land planning agency shall provide the verification within 45 days after receiving a copy of the regulations.

(23) Until the campus master plan and campus development agreement for an institution have been finalized, any dispute between the university board of trustees and a local government relating to campus development for that institution shall be resolved by the process established in subsection (8).

Legislative History

s. 825, ch. 2002-387; s. 1, ch. 2005-284; s. 120, ch. 2006-1; s. 31, ch. 2010-78; s. 69, ch. 2011-139; s. 49, ch. 2025-110.