Planning Department

The Planning Department at 211 Rock Point Drive is open to the public Monday through Thursdays, 8:00AM-4:30PM. 
You are, as always, welcome to give us a call at (970)382-6263 x3
or email your questions to planning@co.laplata.co.us.

Due to a staffing shortage and increased number of permit applications, processing time for projects has significantly increased.  We are working to address this as best we can and appreciate your patience.

The Mission of the Planning Department is to provide land use, resource management, and development opportunities to residents, landowners, and businesses to support a prosperous, vibrant, and beautiful community. 

  • Provide information to the public,
  • Explain regulations regarding land use possibilities in the county,
  • Process land development requests per the County Code,
  • Advise decision-makers regarding land use, growth, and development issues in our community, and
  • Combine current planning and long-range planning to best serve the public interest while allowing growth to occur.

Begin the Land Use application process:
Due to a staffing shortage and an increased number of permit applications, processing time for projects has significantly increased.  We are working to address this as best we can and appreciate your patience.

The first step in initiating a land use application is to evaluate the feasibility of a project proposal. To assist with this, please complete the Feasibility Evaluation Form (Please have a site plan ready for upload before beginning the online form). For instructions for creating a site plan please visit the Feasibility Evaluation information page.
What's new: Oil & Gas Regulations update (Chapter 90)
La Plata County Staff has been working on a rewrite of the Oil and Gas regulations (Chapter 90) in the Land Use Code.
Click Here for more info!

Newsletter
April Community Development Department Update

Apply to Serve on the Planning Commission
La Plata County residents are encouraged to apply for a seat on the Planning Commission. Commission members review planning matters for approval or denial based on compliance with the land use code and make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners concerning planning matters, policies, and decisions. Visit the county's web page to apply: co.laplata.co.us/apply

Wildfire Hazard Maps
Click here for maps specific to conditions in La Plata County. Maps include information about the wildfire hazard or likelihood of spread and intensity of a wildfire, and the mitigation difficulty uses life form (grass, shrub), slope and crown fire potential to classify the difficulty of completing mitigation for defensible space. Data for these maps was contributed by many federal, state and local agencies as well as private partners and public contributors.

Planning Project Locator
Find current Planning Projects in the County

Project Locator