Growth FAQ - Planning & Zoning

What is the difference between the Planning Department and the Growth Management Department?

Most Planning Departments are divided into two sections, current planning and long range planning. As the name suggests, current planning focuses on answering the question, "How can I develop my property today?" The answer to that question depends on how the site is zoned. Each zoning district lists the allowable land uses and also provides development standards that define things like the required building setbacks, the maximum height, parking spaces, landscaping, tree preservation, building design, and a variety of other issues. In other words, current planning deals with the nuts and bolts of what has to be done to develop a site today.

In contrast, long range planning recognizes that future conditions will be different from current conditions and that we have to carefully plan to arrive at our desired future. Planning for future population growth, traffic, adequate public infrastructure like potable water and central sewer, climate change, affordable housing, and a host of other issues requires a plan. That's called a Comprehensive Plan, and it covers the next 20 years. All of the City's land use actions, from rezonings to site plans to subdivisions, must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

I gave you this explanation of current versus long range planning because it's the key to answering this question. Tallahassee has a joint City/County Planning Department that focuses on the long range planning function. However, the current planning function is handled independently by the Growth Management Department for the City and the Development Services Division for Leon County.