Planning director warns of state preemption, asks board for zoning enforcement position

The county’s planning director told the Board of Supervisors the planning department is under‑resourced for enforcement and recommended adding a zoning enforcement officer to address longstanding unresolved violations and to monitor compliance with conditions in special exceptions and conditional zoning approvals. "We have a zoning ordinance that is just, you know, really out of date," the director said, and noted enforcement has historically been complaint‑driven with no dedicated staff.

The director outlined several state legislative proposals that could significantly change local land‑use practice: one bill described in the presentation would require counties to plan for a 1.5% annual dwelling unit increase (a cumulative 7.5% over five years); others would limit local parking requirements or allow certain residential uses by right. He said such statutory changes and shortened review timelines (a recently shortened state review window from 60 to 40 days) increase pressure on local review and enforcement capacity.

Board members probed expected measurable impacts, prosecution history, and fee changes. The director said the planning office will track enforcement actions in monthly reports, proposes modest fee changes (for example, a $25 fee for certain zoning reviews), and recommended a staff position dedicated to follow‑up inspections and enforcement of board‑approved conditions. He framed the goal as compliance rather than punishment and offered to provide follow‑up metrics on enforcement activities and downstream revenue impacts if the board wishes to consider hiring the role.