Senior Planner

ABOUT THE POSITION

Under general supervision of the Deputy Director of Community Development - Planning, the Senior Planner performs professional-level tasks in current and/or comprehensive planning; provides information and assistance to developers, the business community, and the public in the areas of planning, housing, zoning, and development related matters.

The selected candidate will have the opportunity to provide leadership for key projects, related to process improvements, code updates, and the comprehensive General Plan Update along with the development of the City's Historic Preservation Program.
 
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The following examples are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by persons assigned to this classification.

• Assists in updating and reporting of the General Plan.
• Supervises or personally performs preparation of General Plan updates, exhibits and land use maps.
• Collects and analyzes data in preparation of reports and recommendations.
• Carries out planning studies related to land use, population, employment, public facilities, etc.
• Supervises, coordinates, and reviews work of professional, sub-professional, and clerical employees related to land use entitlements, zoning, and long range planning.
• Assists in preparation of material and reports for presentation before various boards and commissions and in the representation of the Planning Division and Department and its results before the public.
• Maintains cooperative working relationships with other divisions, departments, agencies, civic and professional organizations, and the general public.
• Confers and provides consultative advice to architects, builders, attorneys, contractors, engineers, and the general public regarding City development policies and standards.
• Receives and answers public inquiries regarding zoning, legal descriptions, and other related Planning matters, either on the phone or in person over the public counter.
• Reviews development proposals and applications for compliance with the City's Zoning Ordinance and consistency with the General Plan.
• Performs field surveys and site inspections to identify problems and ensures conformance with project conditions and development standards.
• Prepares CEQA documentation to evaluate environmental impacts.
• Reviews and processes land use entitlements, including the site plan reviews, conditional use permits, variance, subdivisions, General Plan amendments, and zoning code amendments
• Interprets and applies land use, environmental quality, subdivision, and general and residential development projects with the Zoning Ordinance.
• Assists with City redevelopment programs and projects.
• Prepares staff reports for various zoning and subdivision applications with recommendations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required skills, knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the skills, knowledge, and abilities would be:
 
Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with major coursework in Urban Planning or related field. Master's degree in Urban Planning or related field is preferred.
 
Experience: Three (3) years increasingly responsible professional experience in urban planning. A Master's degree in Planning from an accredited institution may be substituted for one (1) year experience.

Knowledge of: Processes, principles, practices, and techniques of planning, including development and maintenance of the comprehensive General Plan and its implementation; legal requirements related to planning; urbanism and the urbanization process; land use, design, site planning, historic preservation, and transportation planning; state and federal procedures relating to planning laws.

Ability to: Administer and organize Planning Division projects; compile and use statistical data and other planning tools; supervise, analyze, project, and predict physical, social, and economic conditions; utilize models of operations, research, and simulation; produce planning presentations.

Bilingual skills in Spanish are highly desirable.

For more information regarding this opening, please visit us at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/citydowney