Services & Programs

Planning & Community Development

Housing

Through the CWCOG’s Regional Housing and Community Development program, many housing-related issues are addressed through varying means, including:

• Tracking and monitory of housing issues and trends within the region. These are brought before the Regional Housing Advisory Committee, which advises the CWCOG board on actions needed at the local, state and federal levels.
• Conducting special studies and preparing reports on housing issues, such as the 2007 Countywide Housing Needs Assessment.
• Provision of staff support for the Cowlitz Continuum of Care Planning Group, a mechanism for inter-agency coordination of local homeless issues.
• Development and Implementation of the Cowlitz County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, to meet state requirements and guide local funding decisions.

Planning Services

A central focus of the CWCOG is to provide planning services by contract to area jurisdictions. Planning services includes a variety of land-use planning functions including:

• Comprehensive planning (long range plans, growth boundaries, etc.)
• Permit review (subdivisions, short plats, variances, condition use permits, etc.)
• Code revisions (zoning, subdivision, critical areas, etc.)
• Critical area compliance/permit review
• Mapping and spatial analysis
• Staff assistance to planning commissions and city councils
• SEPA reviews
• Community outreach
• Regional coordination
• Growth Management Act (GMA) planning

The CWCOG has a dedicated team of planners ready to meet the needs of area jurisdictions. We look forward to helping you achieve your community vision through prompt, consistent and professional planning advice and services.

Parks & Recreation Planning

The CWCOG is committed to improving the quality of life for area residents. To this end, the CWCOG works with area jurisdictions to ensure funding eligibility for parks and recreational amenities. The CWCOG assists cities, counties, school districts and port districts with comprehensive park and recreation plans. The CWCOG also spearheads regional trails planning and coordinating efforts between jurisdictions.

Once a plan is completed or updated, a jurisdiction becomes eligible to compete for state grants to assist with park construction and system improvements. The CWCOG is also able to assist with grant writing and plan implementation.

Community Visualization Services

CommunityViz blends GIS-based analysis and real-world 3D modeling that allows people to envision land use alternatives and understand potential impacts, explore options and share possibilities, and examine scenarios from all angles and perspectives, including environmental, economic, and social characteristics. CommunityViz is a powerful planning tool that can be used on a variety of different projects for our members and the public such as downtown revitalization efforts, ordinance development, transportation improvements, subdivision design, and economic development analysis.

CommunityViz is a way of planning that allows people to look beyond their own backyards and bottom lines, by employing the shared language of visualization. It helps people with different viewpoints and backgrounds engage in collaborative, informed and common decision-making about their community’s future, turning civic innovation into everyday practice.

The CWCOG uses CommunityViz technology to help identify future land use designations, zoning, transportation and utility needs. Existing GIS data layers are analyzed under CommunityViz scenarios to create layers to visualize future development. CommunityViz allows staff to virtually see what their decisions or recommendations will do to the environment, utilities, and economic conditions of the project area. In the end, Community Viz imparts to local officials and the public greater confidence in the outcomes of local land use, development and related decisions.

Grant Application Development

CWCOG staff is available to help you identify sources of funds for most any type of community improvement project. Staff can help you tap into these resources by matching your community’s needs with appropriate potential funding sources. CWCOG services include:

• Researching the array of possible grant opportunities
• Preparation of grant applications
• Independent review and critique of your proposal
• Preparation of background data to document needs and trends.

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