(2) The Department of Land Conservation and Development shall prepare a report stating whether the proposed changes comply with applicable statutes, goals and commission rules. The department shall provide a reasonable opportunity for persons to prepare and submit written comments or objections to the report; however a person may not:

(a) Submit written comments or objections to the report unless the person participated orally or in writing in the local government proceedings leading to the adoption of the proposed changes.

(b) Produce new evidence.

(3) After reviewing the proposed changes, the report and any written comments and objections to the report, the commission shall prepare a proposed final order. The commission shall afford the local government and persons who submitted written comments or objections to the report a reasonable opportunity to file written exceptions to the proposed final order. If timely exceptions are not filed, the proposed order becomes final.

(4) The commission’s review under this section is confined to the record of proceedings before the local government, the report of the department and any comments, objections and exceptions filed under subsection (2) or (3) of this section and the proposed final order of the commission, including any responses to exceptions. The commission may entertain oral argument from the department and from persons who filed exceptions, and may consider new issues raised by its review. The commission may not allow additional evidence, argument or testimony that could have been presented to the local government but was not presented.

(5) A commission order granting, denying or remanding proposed changes must include a clear statement of findings that sets forth the basis for the approval, denial or remand, including:

(a) Identifying the statutes, goals and rules applicable to the proposed changes; and

(b) Supporting the determinations of compliance and noncompliance.

(6) A commission order granting approval may be limited to an identified geographic area described in the order if:

(a) The identified geographic area is the only area that is the subject of the proposed changes; or

(b) Specific geographic areas do not comply with the applicable statutes, goals or rules, and the requirements are not technical or minor in nature.

(7) The commission may issue a limited approval order if a previously issued approval order is reversed or remanded by an appellate court. The limited approval order may deny approval of that part of the comprehensive plan or land use regulations that the court found not in compliance with the applicable statutes, goals or rules and grant approval of other parts of the proposed changes.

(8) A limited approval order is an approval for all purposes and is a final order for purposes of judicial review with respect to the approved geographic area. A limited order may be adopted in conjunction with a remand. [2009 c.873 §13]