Mission Statement
The mission of the Planning and Development Department is to ensure that Augusta’s growth is orderly and in conformance with our Comprehensive Plan, planning principals and policies, and that implementing that plan and administering and enforcing building construction, property maintenance, and license codes is done in a professional and cost effective manner.
Primary Responsibilities of the Planning and Development Department:
- Comprehensive Planning – Development, maintenance, and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.
- Transportation Planning - The Department is the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the designated recipient of all federal transportation funding for the Augusta Metropolitan Area. The Department maintains a comprehensive transportation planning program for the entire metropolitan area.
- Zoning - The Department administers the local Zoning Ordinance to ensure that land uses are compatible with each other and as a tool in implementing the Comprehensive Plan.
- Development Administration - The Department is the clearinghouse for review and approval of all land development projects.
- Environmental Regulations - The Department administers various regulatory programs such as the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, the Soil Erosion Ordinance, Tree Ordinance, Service Delivery Strategy, Historic Preservation Ordinance, Air Quality as related to transportation conformity, and Title 5 of the Georgia Planning Act of 1989.
- Building Inspections – The Department is responsible for commercial, residential, and rough and final building plan reviews and permits.
- Code Enforcement –This Division administers Property Maintenance Codes, Minimum Housing Standards, Zoning Ordinance, as well as State and Local Nuisance Codes to include environmental issues.
- Business Licenses – The Department issues all types of business licenses and collects occupation taxes.
- Alcohol Licenses – The Department issues permits for alcohol consumption on premises, retail packaging, and one day events.