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County advances permitting reforms: off‑site objective standards, NACTO guidance and a temporary environmental health specialist
Summary
The county said the Department of Public Works will lead development of off‑site objective design standards, the county will reference NACTO guidance, and staff recommended the addition of a one‑year fixed‑term supervising environmental health specialist funded from outside the budget to support permitting reforms and outreach.
County staff told the Board of Supervisors that the Department of Public Works (DPW) will lead development of objective off‑site design standards and that the county intends to rely on national guidance, including standards from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), to create predictable, consistent requirements for sidewalks, curb extensions, crosswalks, culvert sizing and utility placements.
Scope and lead: staff said DPW (led by Chris Blanc and team) will lead the multi‑department effort and will work with the Community Development Agency (CDA), planning commission and design review boards. Staff said they have retained a former planning director and consultants with expertise in off‑site infrastructure requirements. The work is in the adopted work program and staff expect the standards work to take time and require iterative consultations with community stakeholders and local boards.
Form‑based code and timing: county staff said form‑based code and objective standards will be considered; the county plans to develop standards that provide notice to developers while standards are being drafted and expects to return with adopted standards in summer 2026. Staff said they will consider how form‑based approaches have performed elsewhere and will seek input from developers and community partners.
NACTO guidance: staff said they will use NACTO standards to provide consistent, nationally accepted design elements and to help reduce the need for repeated board approvals on streetscape decisions.
Environmental health staffing and permitting workshop: in response to board interest in environmental health and permitting reforms, staff recommended adding a one‑time, fixed‑term supervising environmental health specialist (1 FTE) funded from outside the FY25–26 budget and starting recruitment with a July 1 funding effective date. Staff also noted a dedicated permitting workshop scheduled for this summer to provide additional detail.
Ending: staff said KPMG will include environmental health in its early assessments and that the temporary specialist would help implement near‑term process and communication improvements while KPMG and internal teams complete a longer organizational assessment.
