Over the past few months continuous updates have been published about the formation and process of a regulatory development plan for popular commercial growing coastal zones. Jaco’s zoning plan has been under dispute for the longest time, both by its local government (municipality) and the ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Institute). Zoning for Jacó and its surrounding communities (Herradura, Tarcoles and Guavalillo) has already been laid out. However, it seems that a resolution on the town’s on-going development will soon be stated. Though the plan’s draft is nearly done, the required approval of the National Housing and Urban Development Institute, SETENA (The Environmental Secretary Office) and the Costa Rica Tourism Institute, is expected to delay its enforcement for another year. The plan will control construction zones (ie- distance from construction site to the ocean), and other issues such as regulating the height of buildings—no building can exceed the beyond the height of 25 floors—and the kind of businesses that are opened along the town’s main highway, which will only be allowed to be tourism related. Community and government representatives have been working on this plan since 2005, with the purpose to put an end to unregulated and chaotic development, and in hope that once the plan is established Jacó will grow in an orderly fashion. This is not only for environmental reasons, but also to beautify and keep restrain on areas that once were small, surfing beach towns and have rapidly become Costa Rican Real Estate hot spots .