A local government's long-range guide for growth and development, which zoning ordinances must generally be consistent with.
Why Comprehensive Plan matters on the exam
This term belongs to Land Use Controls. The questions below are real items from Freehold's bank that use it - each one cites its source.
Exam questions using Comprehensive Plan
Every Freehold question shows why the right answer is right — and cites its source.
A city's zoning ordinance is challenged because it does not conform to the community's adopted comprehensive (master) plan. Courts generally view this consistency requirement as:
Irrelevant, because the comprehensive plan has no legal effect on zoning
Only advisory, so zoning may freely contradict the plan without consequence
Essential
Optional, because federal law preempts local comprehensive planning requirements
Show answer & explanation
Essential — Zoning ordinances are expected to implement the community's comprehensive plan; ordinances that substantially conflict with the plan are more vulnerable to being struck down as arbitrary or invalid.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline §2 Land Use Controls
A city rezones a parcel from multifamily residential to single-family residential, reducing the density permitted on the site. This action is best described as:
Downzoning
Spot zoning
A variance
Inverse condemnation
Show answer & explanation
Downzoning — Downzoning reduces the intensity or density of use allowed on a parcel, such as changing a multifamily district to single-family, and is valid if applied consistently with the comprehensive plan.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline §2 Land Use Controls
Spot zoning refers to:
Zoning a district uniformly for a single permitted use, as is generally done citywide
The formal process of granting a use variance to an applicant facing genuine hardship
A federal environmental review the Army Corps of Engineers must complete before a wetland parcel may be rezoned
Rezoning a small parcel in a manner inconsistent with the surrounding area and comprehensive plan, usually benefiting a single owner
Show answer & explanation
Rezoning a small parcel in a manner inconsistent with the surrounding area and comprehensive plan, usually benefiting a single owner — Spot zoning singles out a small area for treatment different from surrounding property, without a rational relationship to the comprehensive plan, and is often struck down as arbitrary and discriminatory.
Source: PSI National Real Estate Exam Content Outline §2 Land Use Controls
Freehold is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PSI, Pearson VUE, or any state real estate licensing board or commission. Freehold does not guarantee passage of any licensing exam.
