What is the difference between a comprehensive plan and zoning?
The comprehensive plan is a policy document that guides general land use patterns. Zoning regulates specific uses, including the scale and intensity of development. To fully understand how land can be used, you first need to know the land use designation in the comprehensive plan, as well as the specific zoning district of a parcel as set forth in the Zoning Code. Just as changing the zoning for a parcel requires a rezoning application, a change to the land use designation requires a comprehensive plan amendment.
