The Department of Planning & Community Development is the main department that manages, oversees, and regulates development in Island County. Increasing urbanization pressures have led to the formation of regulations known as County Code in order to create a systematic yet consistent plan for handling this pressure.

The Department works with homeowners, developers, businesses, and those who have some interest invested in Island County. As these groups meet, dynamic planning methods are used to plan for future land-use accommodating future population projections along with striving to maintain the ultimate goal of protecting our quality of life which often times is overlooked by jurisdictions.

Long Range Planning, Land-use Planning, and the Building Division work together to guide Island County's future while at the same time honoring our heritage and rural past.

Land-Use Planning is directly concerned with activities that occur on the land. Land-use, shoreline, and critical area planners are a part of this division. Included here is the former Community Development Division where engineers from Public Works assist the department in overseeing projects involving stormwater systems and drainage and clearing and grading activities.

The Building Division is concerned with structural improvements. From expansions of a deck to the construction of a new home, the Building Division oversees plans and is in charge of inspections making sure construction is safe and free of potential dangers. WHERE IS ISLAND COUNTY?