Prior to coming to Larkspur, Nancy was Planning and Community Development Director for the City of Rohnert Park. Prior to Rohnert Park, Nancy was Acting Planning Manager for the City of Richmond where she worked for twenty years. Nancy has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelors Degree in Environmental and Planning Management from the University of California at Davis.

Neal Toft, Senior Planner

The Planning Department processes applications for both discretionary and ministerial planning permits for development projects proposed by private individuals and undertakes the preparation of advance planning projects such as revisions to the General Plan, preparation of specific plans and Zoning Ordinance amendments. It also provides staff services to Larkspur's Planning Commission, and on an as-needed basis, to the Heritage Preservation Board, and City Council on planning and environmental matters. Additionally, the Planning Department enforces the City's Zoning Ordinance.

The Department is made up of the Planning Director, a Senior Planner, an Assistant Planner and a part-time Planner/Zoning Administrator. Contract planners and other professionals provide support services. The tasks assigned to the Planning Department are organized into four functional areas as follows:

• CURRENT PLANNING: The main Current Planning activities are associated with advising the Planning Commission and City Council regarding applications for land use changes and development permits. These applications include fence height exceptions, lot line adjustments, slope use permits, floor area ratio exceptions, use permits, variances, subdivisions and design review. Also included in Current Planning activities is the review of building permit applications for Zoning Ordinance compliance and environmental review of discretionary development applications.

• ADVANCE PLANNING: Advance Planning is concerned with the preparation, updating and amendment of General Plan elements, Specific Plans, and the Zoning Ordinance. It is also responsible for inter-agency coordination.

• CODE ENFORCEMENT: The Planning Department staff is responsible for enforcement of the City's Zoning Ordinance and compliance with conditions of permit approval.

• PUBLIC INFORMATION: Each day the Planning Department receives a large number of requests for planning information from the public. In order to provide this information, the Department maintains a public counter that is staffed 28 hours per week and provides telephone, mail and Internet response services. It is estimated that 40% of staff time is spent on public information activities.