Zoning Director

We are looking for a Zoning Director to join the City of Charleston's Planning, Preservation & Sustainability Department! The Zoning Director plays a key role in shaping the built environment throughout the City of Charleston. Their duties include administering the City's zoning ordinance and managing processes that regulate land use, land development, site design, and signage. They demonstrate an interest in attainable and equitable housing, mobility, the public realm, planning, public processes, policy-making, governmental transparency, and working with members of the public and development community.

The Zoning Director serves as the administrative officer of the zoning ordinance and manages the operations of the Zoning Division within the Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability. The Zoning Director supervises a workgroup of eight (8) staff members that reviews applications for new construction, subdivisions, land use changes, tree removals, business licenses, certificates of occupancy, short-term rentals, zoning interpretations and zoning verification letters within the City. The Zoning Director performs these tasks by interpreting and enforcing adopted zoning ordinances, design principles, and policy statements.

• Oversees the management of three (3) review boards including the Board of Zoning Appeals-Site Design, Board of Zoning Appeals-Zoning, and the Technical Review Committee, and presents recommendations to the Planning Commission. Duties include:

• Organizing and managing the workflow and review of approximately 2,200+ applications and a year and seven board meetings a month.

• Providing excellent customer service by clearly and proactively communicating with internal and external customers.

• Developing workshops, webinars, training sessions, and publications for staff, board members, applicants and the public regarding zoning and land development regulations.

• Serves as the administrator for the Board of Zoning Appeals-Zoning, which reviews applications for special exceptions and variances for traditional zoning regulations such as building setbacks, height, residential density, parking, and land use and provide staff recommendations to the board in public meetings.

• Meets with engineers, contractors, developers, property owners, consultants, and others to review proposals for new structures, modifications to existing structures, demolition requests, land development proposals, land  use, and signage within various zoning districts.

• Reviews and analyzes the impact of development proposals on parking, traffic, pedestrian safety, infrastructure, environments, urban design, preservation, housing affordability, flooding and resiliency, equity, and other factors.

• Provides advice to applicants to facilitate code and policy compliance of proposed work by reviewing requirements and advising appropriate plan modifications.

• Performs site inspections of projects that are under construction and completed.

• Provides regular briefings to department leadership and Mayor regarding operations and projects

• Collaborates with other divisions, departments, and organizations that may present alternate perspectives.

• Enforces and promotes compliance with all provisions of the zoning ordinance. Investigate complaints and inquiries from the public.

• Researches and maintains current knowledge of state legislation and current case law pertaining to zoning issues.

• Evaluates the zoning ordinance and recommends changes or revisions as appropriate; prepares and presents amendments to the ordinance.

• Assists in the review, adoption, and implementation of a completely new zoning ordinance that is currently being drafted.  The new code will implement recommendations of the updated comprehensive plan and create an elevation based, modern, flexible, and user-friendly ordinance.

• Prepares a variety of studies, reports, and related information for decision-making purposes.

• Develops an annual work plan for the division.

• Supervises professional, technical and support staff. Including instructing, advising, assigning, and reviewing work of staff; coordinating staff responsibilities and functions; allocating personnel, selecting new employees and acting on employee issues.

• Improves the division's process, practices, and policies by evaluating all aspects of the division's operations to streamline processes, improve workflow and increase transparency.

• Administers policies and ordinances with an understanding of broader issues related to housing affordability, equity, climate change, and economic development.

• Utilizes effective communication and public speaking skills.

• Utilizes design skills to clearly convey design concepts and works with others to improve architectural and site design proposals at varying scales.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Master's degree or equivalent in Planning, Architecture, Urban Design or a related field; and 10 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and training.

• Knowledge of the local and state laws that pertain to planning, zoning and the quasi-judicial boards.

• Knowledge of the legal concepts concerning the use of land and the administration of land use regulations.

• Valid South Carolina Driver's License.

• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.

• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification.

• Experience working with zoning and subdivision regulations and/or with municipal review boards.

• Experience leading/facilitating public meetings.