Department Information:
The Planning and Zoning Department is part of the County Development Services Department. Planning Staff work closely with other county departments, including Road and Bridge, Building Safety, and Environmental Health, to assist landowners in using their property, and to enforce the adopted Land Use Regulations to protect surrounding property owners from incompatible land uses. The Planning Department staff is responsible for advising the Board of Commissioners, the Planning Commission and the public on land use and development issues. The planning staff accepts and reviews all land planning applications according to the County Land Use Code and County Master plans. The staff also prepares updates and revisions to the County's Land Use Codes for review by the Board of Commissioners to keep up with the changing values of the County's citizens.
Chaffee County Land Use Statistics:
The County's land area is approximately 649,508 acres, which is equal to approximately 1014 square miles. Of this area, a large majority is managed by various federal, state and local government entities, including the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State Land Board, and the state Divisions of Wildlife and Corrections. Excluding the incorporated municipalities of Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs, there are approximately 120,000 acres of privately owned land in Chaffee County.