Building, Planning & Zoning
Department Overview
The Building, Planning and Zoning Department assists the city by providing for orderly growth, planning for appropriate land use, the preservation of resources for the future, and enforcement of codes. The Building Official serves as the staff liaison for the Planning and Zoning Commission, which also acts as the Board of Zoning Appeals. Staff will administer the development of the City's next Comprehensive Plan and continuously evaluates current zoning and subdivision regulations. The Building Official is responsible for all inspections and building permits issued by the City.
Code Enforcement
Another way the department serves the public is through enforcement of building codes and City Code for nuisances. The Building Official reviews all construction within the city for compliance and assist builders and residents with construction methods. The Building Official and their staff also oversee the licensing of electricians, plumbers, and gas fitters, and serve as staff liaison to contractor appeal boards.
The Code Enforcement Officer works to enforce the City Code in the community and monitors properties for nuisance violations like overgrown lawns, an excess of solid waste, unsafe or poorly maintained structures, and more. Code Enforcement is the most integral part of our community clean-up goal.
Zoning
Zoning describes the control by authority which designates legal areas in a municipality to permit and prohibit land uses. Zoning may specify a variety of outright and conditional uses of land. It may also indicate the size and dimensions of land area as well as the form and scale of buildings. These guidelines are set in order to guide urban growth and development.
Areas of land are divided by appropriate authorities into zones within which various uses are permitted. Thus, zoning is a technique of land-use planning as a tool of urban planning used by local governments. The word is derived from the practice of designating mapped zones which regulate the use, form, design and compatibility of development. Legally, a zoning plan is usually enacted as a by-law with the respective procedures.
Contact City Hall
If you are interested in developing land, splitting or vacating a parcel of land, rezoning or requesting a variance to our zoning ordinance or subdivision regulations, building inspections, or environmental codes enforcement, contact City Hall. For building inspections please call 913-755-2146.
Staff Contacts
| Name | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| David Ellis | Code Enforcement Officer | (913) 755-2146 Ext. 114 |
| Keith Myers | Building Official |