Goochland County is located in the heart of Central Virginia. Just over 289 square miles of rural countryside, our County is home to just over 26,000 residents and is ideally located within a short drive to beaches or mountain tops. We have great proximity to major cities including Charlottesville and Richmond. Our quality of life is unsurpassed, and our active community welcomes one and all. A community rich in history, the Goochland County Courthouse is widely considered to be the most well-maintained Jeffersonian courthouse in Virginia. Goochland County is the smallest county in the United States to have earned the highest rating from all three credit rating agencies which reflects the County’s exceptional financial resilience and is home to an award-winning public-school system.

This class provides professional planning services, land use planning, preservation planning, zoning administration, and the monitoring, review, and evaluation of land use development proposals design. As assigned, work may include: reviewing applications, proposals, bids, plans, and reports for land use and zoning ordinance compliance; conducting field investigations; preparing and presenting reports; maintaining databases; coordinating reviews, including determining review criteria; designing and developing comprehensive community and neighborhood development plans; determining project compliance; analyzing effects of plans on land use, and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.

• Provides a variety of planning assistance and information to the general public and development community; assists the public with applications and planning related matters
• Researches, interprets, and communicates development policies, procedures and ordinances to residents and the development community
• Reviews or assists in the review of moderately difficult development proposals and site plans for conformance with codes, plans, and regulations
• Evaluates or assists in the evaluation of rezoning, ordinance amendments, site plans, special use permits, variances and other proposals
• Performs field investigations to ensure projects conform to County standards, land use, zoning requirements, design regulations and/or approved plans
• Collects and identifies sociological, economic, demographic, and physical site data that affect land use and community development
• Reviews and prepares charts, maps and other graphic materials using planning instruments and computer mapping tools
• Researches land use and planning topics in support of department efforts and activities as assigned
• Assists in intake of certain applications and track them through the permitting system.

Working knowledge of the principles and practices of planning and development, regional planning, and land use; of federal, state and local laws and ordinances affecting planning, zoning and development; of physical, social and economic factors involved in land use and regional planning. Ability to read, interpret and apply maps, development plans, technical reports, planning and zoning ordinances and related documents; to communicate effectively orally and in writing; to operate a personal computer and related software and other standard office equipment; to develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers.

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning, civil or environmental engineering, landscape architecture, or a related field
• Three years of experience or an equivalent amount of graduate level training.
• Valid Virginia Driver's License
• An equivalent combination of training and experience may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

As part of employment with Goochland County, all employees are required to complete Emergency preparedness and incident management training courses as directed or requested.

Goochland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, family medical history or genetic information, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status that is protected by federal, state or local laws.