Lake County expands planning department, readies new comprehensive plan and impact-fee study

Anne Schneider, director of Community Planning and Development, told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 27 that the county has reorganized building and land‑use services into a single Community Planning & Development (CPD) department and is moving several projects forward, including a joint city–county comprehensive plan, an impact‑fee study and an internal building‑inspector position to replace much third‑party plan review.

The reorganization, Schneider said, bundles zoning, building permits, code enforcement, on‑site wastewater plan review and long‑range planning under CPD. “We restructured the department to be community planning and development,” she said. She told commissioners the department now manages building permits and inspections for both the city of Leadville and Lake County under an intergovernmental agreement.

Why it matters: CPD’s work sets the rules that shape future development in Lake County — from subdivision approvals and building standards to where growth should be directed. The department’s immediate priorities could affect housing capacity, development costs and how much new development contributes financially to public infrastructure.

Staff highlighted three items the board will consider soon. First, CPD is starting a…