Planning

Administrative

The Planning Division is often the first point of contact for development proposals and staffs all meetings with the Architectural Design Review Board, Planning Commission, City Council, and public hearings before the Hearing Examiner and other hearing bodies. The Planning Division is often asked to provide drafts of agenda bills, resolutions and ordinances, and assistance with grant applications.  The Planning Division functions are handled mostly in-house by the Community Development Director and by the Planning Secretary for Planning Commission support. Since September 2019, the Planning Division functions have been performed by AHBL, Inc., a third-party planning consultant organization. With the hiring of the Community Development Director in 2024, day-to-day planning functions are now largely managed by City staff and supplemented as-needed by AHBL.

Current Planning or Development Review

The Planning Division is responsible for coordinating and leading the City’s review of land use applications which includes a variety of permits and review processes, and participating in review of building and engineering permit applications. The Planning Division is also responsible for conducting environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and administering the City’s critical areas regulations, Shoreline Master Program, and floodplain development regulations.

Long-Range Planning

The Planning Division is responsible for preparing land use code updates as well as updates of long-range policy documents such as the Comprehensive Plan, subarea plans, the Shoreline Master Program, buildable lands reporting, and portions of the City’s Capital Improvement and Transportation Improvement Plans. This work involves coordination with outside agencies and the City Attorney.

Divisional Goals for 2025

The Planning Division has several goals for 2025. Some are based on code or state mandated timelines, while others are related to reducing liability or increasing customer service. These include:

• Identify and prepare code amendments on a timely basis;
• Update forms to include most recently adopted codes and processes, and create a Planning webpage on the City’s website where planning forms, applications, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be easily accessed by the community; Update the City’s Fee
• Schedule to establish an upfront deposit for third party review services in development review;
• Establish a site plan review process in the Orting Municipal Code;
• Identity and apply for grants annually; and
• Return all phone calls within 24 hours and schedule pre-application meetings within three days.