Planning - About Us
Welcome to the Planning Division’s web site. I hope you find it useful and easy to use. If you have comments on it, please click here to send your thoughts to our web site coordinator.
The County of Ventura, with its ten cities and numerous unincorporated communities, is a beautiful place to live and work. The governmental jurisdictions have a long history of working together through cooperative planning agreements such as the Greenbelt Program and other jointly adopted planning documents to retain areas of largely undeveloped agricultural land between urban areas.
In several cases, our planning tools are unique to all of California. For example, the Guidelines for Orderly Development direct urban development to the cities instead of into unincorporated areas, thereby promoting compact development. In the mid-1990s, a series of ordinances were adopted as “SOAR” measures (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) by the County and all but two cities. These measures created Urban Limit Boundaries around the cities to curb sprawl. While other jurisdictions in the State have adopted similar measures, the County of Ventura is unique in the coordinated application of these measures by virtually all jurisdictions.
The above planning tools and others are in place to help maintain the quality of life for which Ventura County is known. The Planning Division is committed to serving the residents of Ventura County through the continuation of these programs and the initiation of new and better ones.
Our Mission
The Ventura County Planning Division is committed to developing, recommending, and implementing land use goals, policies, and programs that will:
- Preserve, conserve, and promote the wise use of the County’s resources;
- Minimize hazards to life and property;
- Promote separate, distinct, and livable communities which offer choice and opportunities to all socio-economic groups and
- Provide adequate, cost-effective public facilities and services.
To achieve this mission, all Division staff shall carry out their duties in a professional, courteous, and helpful manner and with a commitment to the public’s participation in the planning process.
Dave Ward
Planning Director
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