Formatting and Writing the Staff Report
Zoning Practice — November 2004
By Stuart Meck, FAICP, Marya Morris, FAICP
Not a member but want to buy a copy? You'll need to create a free My APA account to purchase.
Create account
Writing staff reports on proposed developments and permit applications is a core skill of planning practice. These are the reports a professional planner prepares that digest a particular development proposal or permit request; assess site conditions; relate the proposal to the comprehensive plan, subplans, and functional plans; and make a recommendation, all against the backdrop of local government policies and development code criteria.
A good report concisely communicates vital information on development proposals to members of the planning commission, the local legislative body, the board of zoning appeals, the public, and the persons applying for any type of development permission. Considering how much time planners spend on them, their preparation is a topic about which there is surprisingly little written.
This issue of Zoning Practice presents guidance to help staff prepare reports that convey vital information on development proposals to members of the planning commission, the local legislative body, the board of zoning appeals, the public, and development applicants.
Details
About the Authors
Stuart Meck, FAICP
My website: http://bloustein.rutgers.edu/meck/
Marya Morris, FAICP
Marya Morris is a self employed planning and zoning consultant based in Wilmette, Illinois. She is also a freelance writer and editor and has authored nine Planning Advisory Service Reports, the most recent of which is Design Review, co-authored with Mark Henshaw, FAICP, in 2018. She was a member of the Glencoe Plan Commission from 2009-2017..