Our Mission

The Planning Department administers the General Plan, Local Coastal Plan, Zoning Code and other long-range plans for the city’s development. Planning services are provided by independent contract planners.

What does the Planning Department do?

• Performs complex and specialized planning work which may include current and long-range planning, analysis of environmental impacts and mitigation measures, etc.
• Prepares and conducts studies, and presents recommendations; provides public counter customer service; conducts independent research for special projects; etc.
• Assists in the preparation of General Plan updates, annexation studies, transportation, and other special planning projects; prepares and amends ordinances; reviews site plans, construction drawings, grading plans, etc.
• Prepares Initial Studies, related environmental documents; processes ministerial and discretionary
  applications; maintains records and files including the planning software tracking system; etc.
• Prepares memos and staff reports; reviews construction drawings for substantial conformity with
  discretionary approvals; maintains planning stats for the department and generates monthly reports for the City Council, generates diagrams, exhibits, maps, or illustrations utilizing ArcGIS (or related software); etc.
• Interprets and applies local, state, and federal planning and laws and codes.
• Develops various studies of land use, population characteristics, general economic activities, and support for the code enforcement unit (City Fire).
• Works with the development community and other City departments in a positive and informative
  manner; performs field investigations and prepares reports and recommendations.

The Planning Department is located at 918 Obispo Street. The public counter is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed from Noon to 12:30 PM for lunch.