The Planning Division is headed by the Planning Director who reports to the Director of the Resource Management Agency. There are five sections within the Planning Division, each of which is headed by a section manager. The Planning Director and the five Section Managers comprise the management team.
A Planning Division organizational chart can be found here. These sections have the following responsibilities:
Permit Administration Section- This section is the first point of contact for members of the public. The public counter staff issues Zoning Clearances, provides information on the materials required for a discretionary permit application, and answers general planning questions. The public counter services also include meeting with the Discretionary Permit Coordinator who is in charge of reviewing and accepting discretionary permit applications, and facilitating the Development Review Committee who consists of staff from various departments (e.g. Fire, Environmental Health, Transportation, etc.) to discuss and provide early guidance to applicants regarding their project.
Planning Programs Section- This section includes Condition Compliance, Cultural Heritage Board, the Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board, Census and Demographic services and data management. The Condition Compliance Officers enforce the rules and regulations outlined in the County Zoning Ordinance as well as the conditions approved with permits. This section also provides the public with Ventura County demographics and census information which comes from federal, state and county sources. In addition, staff in this section update and improve the permit tracking database, provide planners and the public with various reports, and oversee the County Planning Website and the One-Stop Permitting Website.
Long-Range Planning Section – This section is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the General Plan and the numerous Area Plans that cover specific areas of the County. This section also processes privately initiated amendments to the plans and special assignments related to general land use issues. In addition, they are involved with population forecasts and studies, open space preservation, and coordination of numerous grants chiefly focused on the preservation of biological and coastal resources within Ventura County.
Residential Permits Section – This section processes permits of a residential nature such as the various types of land subdivisions, farm worker housing and virtually all residential development along the Ventura County coast and into the Santa Monica Mountains. This section also manages the County’s Land Conservation Act contracts to preserve farmland within unincorporated areas. This section reviews development plans, writes staff reports, prepares associated environmental review for new residential projects and conducts public hearings.
Commercial-Industrial Permits Section – Staff in this section process virtually all of the land use permits that are not residential in nature. These can range from mining, oil production, landfill expansions and golf courses to film permits, new or expanding industrial uses and commercial centers. This section reviews development plans, writes staff reports, prepares associated environmental review for new commercial and industrial projects and conducts public hearings.