It shall be the duty of a local planning commission to prepare the comprehensive plan for the long-range development of its area and to perfect it from time to time. Among other things, such comprehensive plan may show existing and proposed streets, highways, expressways, bridges, tunnels, viaducts and approaches thereto; routes of railroads and transit lines, terminals, ports, airports; parks, playgrounds, forests, reservations, and other public open spaces; sites for public buildings and structures; districts for residence, business, industry, recreation, agriculture, forestry; special districts for other purposes; limited development districts for purposes of promoting conservation, adequate water supply, sanitation, sewage treatment, drainage, protection against floods, roadside appearance, and the like; areas for housing developments; location of public utilities whether publicly or privately owned, including but not limited to sewerage and water supply system; zoning districts, and other features. The plan shall recommend long-range development patterns and programs which shall be expressed in five-year increments. The comprehensive plan shall be based upon and include appropriate studies of the location and extent of present and anticipated population, social and economic resources and problems, and other useful data. Such plan shall be adopted, added to, and changed from time to time, by a majority vote of the planning commission. The local planning commission shall review the comprehensive plan or parts thereof as often as necessary, but not less than once every five years to determine whether changes in the amount, kind, or direction of development of the area or other reasons make it desirable to make additions or amendments to the plan. The plan shall be considered to be an expression of the planning commission's recommendations to the appropriate governing bodies with regard to the future growth and development of its area of jurisdiction and, as such, shall be a public record.