Planning Division

Overview

The Planning Division is responsible for managing the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and administering the County's zoning regulations and long range land use planning. Professional planners, in cooperation with the Building Division, Public Works Department and Environmental Health Division, perform these tasks.

Starting August 1, 2022, you will need to make an appointment to submit a land use application.

Send the following documents to comdevinfo@co.benton.or.us:

Click here for more information on application submittal and forms.

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Hours Open to the Public 

We are available by phone (541-766-6819) and email (comdevinfo@co.benton.or.us) Monday through Friday, 8 A.M to 5 P.M. 

The Planning Division customer help counter is open Monday through Friday 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. by appointment. Appointments will be scheduled on the hour at 9, 10, 11, and 12. Please phone or email for an appointment.

The lobby is open from 8 A.M. to to 5 P.M.

For the following topics, please ask to speak with the associated staff:

  • Regulated Floodplain - Toby Lewis
  • Historic Resources - Inga Williams

We are closed the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr., President’s Day, Juneteenth, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Planning Division Staff

  • Darren Nichols, Community Development Director
  • Greg Verret, Deputy Director of Program & Policy Development
  • Shannon Bush, Community Development Program Coordinator
  • Toby Lewis, Senior Floodplain Administrator, Senior Planner
  • Inga Williams, Associate Planner, Historic Resources Commission liaison
  • Patrick Depa, Multi-Jurisdiction Planner for Benton County and the cities of Monroe, Adair Village and Philomath
  • Daniel Redick, Solid Waste Coordinator
  • Linda Ray, Administrative Specialist

Commissions & Committees

Land Use Applications

Please visit our Land Use Forms & Fees page for specific land use applications and to view the application fee schedule. On average decisions are made on land use applications within two to three months from when a complete application is submitted. The review time can be shorter or it can be longer depending on the complexity of the application and staff workload. 

What is Land Use Planning?

The Oregon State University Libraries and Press in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Resources have developed a Land Use Planning Online Training. This video series provides background and training about land use planning in Oregon. This training series was funded by the Oregon Coastal Management Program through a Section 306 NOAA Grant.