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.

COVID-19 Safety Measures - updated as of March 23, 2020

Public Notice:  Due to the Declared Emergency related to the COVID-19 Pandemic; our office is CLOSED to the public as of March 24, 2020. There will be options for dropping off materials in our lobby. Please call (541-766-6819) or email (comdevinfo@co.benton.or.us) in advance.

We are now accepting emailed land use applications and can accept payment from credit or debit cards over the phone.

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

Click here for more information on application submittal and forms.

PLEASE NOTE: The Planning Commission & Public Hearing for LU-19-091; First Congregational Church of Christ has been postponed to April 7th due to public health considerations.  You can find more information on the public hearing here.

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Hours Open to the Public 

Please call and make an appointment at 541-766-6819 and to be certain that the planning counter will be open when you visit.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays - 8:30 A.M. to 12 P.M. and 1 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. - We are closed for lunch.
Wednesdays - 10:00 A.M. to to 12 P.M. and 1 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.  - We are closed for lunch.

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

  • Regulated Floodplain - Toby Lewis
  • Historic Resources - Inga Williams
  • Well Pump Tests, Partitions or Subdivisions - Kristin Anderson
  • Code Compliance - Rebecca Taylor

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

Planning Division Staff

  • Greg Verret, Community Development Director & Planning Official
  • Kristin Anderson, Associate Planner
  • Toby Lewis, Associate Planner & Certified Floodplain Manager
  • Linsey Godwin, Associate Planner
  • Inga Williams, Associate Planner, Historic Resources Manager
  • Patrick Depa, Multi-Jurisdiction Planner for Benton County and the cities of Monroe, Adair Village and Philomath
  • Rebecca Taylor, Code Compliance Specialist
  • Ned Harris, Planning Technician
  • 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 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. If you have concerns about this timeframe please contact the Planning Division at (541) 766-6819 and ask to speak with the planner assigned to your application file or with the Planner On-Call if you have not yet submitted your application.

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.