Through operational excellence and attention to customer service, we strive to balance community, economic and environmental interests to ensure the highest quality of life for the public of San Diego County.

Planning & Development Services

2023-24 Adopted Budget $59.3M

Planning & Development Services (PDS) sets the vision for a sustainable, equitable future for the unincorporated area. We create and implement balanced land use plans, like the General Plan, that protect natural resources and provide opportunities for housing for all.  We engage with a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure that housing and economic development, the environment, and equity are at the forefront of everything we do and that our work is tailored to the needs of our communities. The PDS team protects our communities by making sure that new development and buildings are engineered and constructed in a way that is safe and resilient in our changing world. PDS is in the field every day, working hand-in-hand with residents to help them meet the standards that keep our neighborhoods and natural areas healthy and beautiful.

• Implement the Environmental Justice part of the General Plan to help underserved communities  $0.1M
• CAP Update to meet GHG targets $0.4M
• Implement SB 743 governing new home development locations $1M
• Create a sustainable land use framework with a parcel by parcel phased analysis $0.7M
• Promote green building and solar energy use $2M
• Increase the use of native plants and preserve and expand native habitat in landscaped areas $0.2M

• Develop community-oriented programs to achieve regional decarbonization and support new CAP measures $0.3M
  
• Manage groundwater sustainability (SGMA) $3.4M
• Open Space Acquisition and preservation of agricultural land (PACE) 443 acres $2M
• Preserve land to protect species (MSCP and new North County MSCP) $1M

• Facilitate housing affordability and the development of affordable housing $0.7M
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) fee waivers $2.9M
• Permit process innovation and business process reengineering to reduce processing times, costs to applicants and to improve the review process and increasing transparency $0.6M

• Explore opportunities for transit oriented development and/or redevelopment $0.9M
• Help communities of the unincorporated county to ensure safe, sustainable communities and preservation of our natural resources $5.1M
• Abatement of life safety and public nuisance issues $0.04M
• Removing barriers to housing $11.8M

• Train team members on equity, diversity, and inclusion topics $0.7M
• Use data to understand and track community needs $0.6M
• Policy: resources to monitor changes in regulations, develop policy and coordination with other jurisdictions $0.3M
• Translate information into eight languages $0.1M

• Involve the community in our programs through meeting and online options $0.1M
  
• Focus on community outreach and engagement $0.3M
• Ensure fiscal responsibility and stability $0.7M
• Cannabis ordinance development $0.3M