Planning & Development Services

Administration

Department Administration includes management of the department through the Director and Deputy Director. Also included in this program is financial workgroup including budgeting, fee setting and financial transactions. Support provided to P&DS through the Center for Project Excellence is also funded here.

 

Building Services

Building Services establishes minimum requirements to safeguard public health, safety, general welfare and the environment through the effective application of city building codes, which determine standards for how buildings may be built, modified, occupied and maintained. Plan review and inspection services include verification of code compliance for structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and energy conservation components of buildings. Building Services coordinates with other city divisions to develop code amendments to meet Boulder’s Climate Commitment goals and collaborates with customers to gather feedback and ensure construction codes and regulations are well understood.

 

Business and Support Services

Business and Support Services administers all Planning & Development Services operations, including internal and external customer service. It also provides support to four advisory boards; administers the licensing program, including contractor licensing, rental housing licensing and short-term rental housing licensing; and provides administrative, financial, programmatic and project support to the department.

 

Code Compliance

The Code Compliance team is responsible for enforcing city regulations involving land use, building code and residential rental property maintenance. It works in partnership with all divisions within Planning & Development Services, as well as the Code Enforcement Unit within the Police Department, which is responsible for property nuisance matters such as trash and weeds.

 

Comprehensive Planning

Comprehensive Planning leads the long-range land use planning and policy development programs that define the future of the City of Boulder. The division develops and implements the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, prepares subcommunity and area plans and other special planning efforts, manages the historic preservation program, acts as an urban design resource for the city and coordinates the urban wildlife management program. Comprehensive Planning is responsible for ensuring the orderly balance of future urban change with community desires and environmental systems.

 

Development Review

Development Review Planning reviews development projects for consistency with the city’s adopted code and policy documents and makes criteria-based decisions and professional  recommendations to Planning Board and City Council. Additionally, the team administers the city’s zoning code and responds to technical zoning and process related inquiries from the community and our customers. Collaborating with other workgroups across the city organization as well as external organizations and stakeholders, the Development Review team ensures consistent application of city regulations and policies in both “by right” and discretionary review projects. The group also engages with the community in coordinating regular updates to the city’s zoning code.

 

Engineering Review & Inspection

The Engineering Review and Inspection program is responsible for technical development review, permitting and inspection of work or impacting public rights-of-way and public easements. Areas of responsibility include city-maintained infrastructure such as domestic water, wastewater, stormwater and, transportation, along with improvements maintained by private service providers for electric, telecommunications and natural gas. The workgroup is also responsible for administration of floodplain and wetland protection ordinances for both public and private projects.

 

Information Resources

Information Resources supports the Planning & Development Services Department’s business systems. This support includes the administration and management of the land management, permitting, the licensing system, EnerGov, geographic information systems (GIS), analysis services and records and research. This Division also provides information support during emergency response incidents.