Welcome to Community Development.

Plan, Build, Care

 

Community Development

Welcome to the Community Development Department.

Formed in 2011, the purpose of the Community Development Department is to help our customers plan, build, and care for the city.  The department is organized into three divisions:

Building and Site Development is a one-stop shop for individuals planning improvements to their properties.  The division reviews construction plans, issues permits, performs inspections, and enforce ordinances that ensure safe buildings and a healthy environment.  It also manages the updating of City construction codes, licensing of contractors and trades, and collects fees related to new construction.

Office of Neighborhood Services helps to strengthen neighborhoods through the licensing and inspection of rental properties, proactive code enforcement, neighborhood organization and homeowner association recognition programs, volunteer programs and services, and grant-supported housing and community development programs.

Planning contributes to the shaping of the city as a whole, by areas, and by proposed development sites. The division assists in the preparation of the Columbia Imagined comprehensive plan, staffs the Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization (CATSO), assists historic preservation efforts, and it reviews development requests, including annexation, zoning changes, subdivisions, development plans, conditional use permits, and street and easement changes.