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Onondaga County Seal
Onondaga County

Planning

What We Do

The Onondaga County Department of Planning carries out a wide variety of services to support our mission as a planning agency and utilize our areas of expertise in administering programs.

  • The Department of Planning is responsible for the development of Onondaga County’s comprehensive land use plan, Plan Onondaga.
  • The Department of Planning promotes inter-municipal coordination of development through the Onondaga County Planning Board (OCPB) and the GML 239 review process. The Department of Planning occasionally assists local development coordination with local, county, and state agencies through the Coordinated Review process.
  • The Geographic Information System (GIS) division provides spatial data and mapping support for planning efforts, county departments and initiatives, municipalities, and the public.
  • The 911 Address Administration program provides support for the Department of Emergency Communications (911) and is responsible for approving street names and assigning address numbers in Onondaga County.
  • The Department of Planning is responsible for preparing a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for Onondaga County, last adopted in 2019.
  • The Department of Planning provides training and planning information for municipal planning and zoning boards, professional planners, other professionals, elected officials, and the public through the Onondaga County Planning Federation (OCPF) and their annual conference.
  • The Department of Planning coordinates farmland protection planning, including assisting the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board in administration of the Agricultural Districts and Agriculture Conservation Easement programs. The Department of Planning Director sits on the County Legislature’s Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board, and the Department of Planning oversees the professional development of the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan for Onondaga County.
  • The Department of Planning provides staff support and serves on the Onondaga County Agriculture Council, which works to support the agricultural community through education, promotion and advocacy programs.
  • The Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC) is responsible for multi-agency transportation planning and funding coordination for Onondaga County. The Department of Planning Director and staff participate on the SMTC Planning, Policy, and Capital Improvement committees, and represent the county on the Executive Committee. Staff also request studies on behalf of the 35 municipalities in the county and participate on study and advisory committees.
  • The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) conducts regional planning studies and administers a variety of planning and economic development related initiatives in Central New York. The Department of Planning Director is appointed to this board and the Department of Planning and CNY RPDB collaborate on various planning initiatives.
  • The Department of Planning collects, analyzes, and distributes land use and demographic data, including US Census data, as a NYS Data Center Affiliate.
  • The Department of Planning assists Onondaga County Community Development and local communities with updating Community Development Block Grant data and information to best represent our communities and bring them financial resources.
  • The Department of Planning provides technical assistance to county and city departments, community agencies, and to the towns and villages in Onondaga County.

Feel free to contact us if you would like more information on the Department of Planning or any of our programs.