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Orland planner outlines staffing, zoning work and housing-element certification
Summary
City planning director Scott Friend told the council the planning department is a single‑person office that handled zoning administration, CEQA review, site plan reviews, and the housing element certification in 2024 — a multi‑year effort that unlocks additional funding eligibility for the city.
Scott Friend, the city’s planner, delivered the planning department’s annual presentation and described administrative responsibilities, notable 2024 workloads, and expected 2025 priorities. Friend said the department is staffed by one planner who administers the general plan and zoning code, processes administrative use permits and site‑plan reviews, supports the planning commission, and handles environmental compliance under CEQA and NEPA when federal funds are involved.
Friend highlighted the final certification of the city’s housing element — a project that took from 2021 to 2025 to complete — and said that certification makes the city eligible for additional housing-related funding. He noted ongoing items: a zoning-code amendment on accessory structures moving through the planning commission, continued development in Oregon Park (phase 1 permits issued), coordination with county water users on canal-crossing permits, and outreach to potential institutional expansions (college campus interest and a county health campus). He also emphasized the planning department’s role in communicating rules to the public and providing handouts and FAQs.
Council had no substantive questions and thanked Friend for the update. No formal council action was taken.
