Planning officials call for clearer rules, more centralized review to speed development

Aaron Vannoy, Director of Planning and Development Services, told the council workshop that San Angelo’s permitting and development review is experienced, transparent and resilient but that fragmentation across departments, staff turnover and dated development codes slow some projects.

"We have a team of planners and permit staff who are solution oriented," Aaron said, noting the department offers online plan-review portals and weekly predevelopment meetings "so anytime somebody applies for a permit that has a plan review, there's an online portal that they get to see every single step, every single comment."

But he and other directors said real-world delays often reflect coordination problems across departments, not solely planning staff workload. Multiple council members and staff discussed the benefit of having co-located representatives (for example, fire marshal or engineering) near the permits desk; Aaron said such shared positions had been reduced over time as workloads centralized in other offices. "Getting those people back in there is a challenge because now you have to fund more positions," he said, but agreed co-location had improved customer experience in the past.

Aaron argued for a comprehensive plan update and code reform to reflect desired growth patterns and to allow more flexible zoning (form-based and context-sensitive infill rules, "missing middle" housing). He recommended a year-one push to fund a comp‑plan update (staff had identified grant opportunities) and a three-year aim to revise zoning and subdivision rules so they align with fiscal and infrastructure planning.

Council members and staff emphasized the city should better support projects through a consistent "can‑do" customer service approach and increased outreach. Planning staff and directors agreed that more frequent, early-stage predevelopment meetings help reduce later delays.

Ending

Directors asked council to prioritize funding for a comprehensive plan update and targeted code reforms in the budget cycle and to consider staff or structural changes to centralize development review. Staff will return with a budget ask and draft scope for a comp‑plan update and code changes.