We’ve worked both sides of the permit counter…as applicant and agency planning staff. Many small communities don’t have the need (or resources) to hire full time planning staff. Other jurisdictions have special “one-off” projects requiring expertise beyond their staff’s experience. SCJ is called upon to help in these type of situations. We expect the unexpected and the variety that comes with serving small communities that are subject to the same set of mandates as larger communities.

Many of today’s projects require considerable environmental review and sometimes there’s not enough expertise on your staff, or time in the day, to get it all done. A large, complex project can be the driver for creating a dramatic increase in workload and attention to technical and regulatory issues that go beyond your staff’s experience or expertise. For these reasons, some communities have standing on-call relationships with SCJ, while others reach out on a project-by-project basis. Communities also draw on our teams’ extensive knowledge to help draft environmental related policies and codes.

Much like comprehensive plans, successful subarea plans include public engagement and are road maps for future decision making. These detailed plans for a specific geographic area within your community can include neighborhoods, parks, corridors and business centers. SCJ planners have worked with dozens of clients in putting the pieces together and will customize a strategy that is responsive to your community.

Data is key to good decision making. A Geographic Information System (GIS), in the right hands, is a powerful tool for generating and analyzing data. We use GIS in our planning efforts to create graphics for communicating complex information, document changes in the landscape, and help you more easily visualize and understand patterns and relationships.