Community Development Planner III (Planning and Urban Design Agency)

The Community Development Planner III position at a Planning and Urban Design Agency in St. Louis, MO involves researching and analyzing urban growth and economic development issues. Responsibilities include leading neighborhood planning initiatives, engaging with community stakeholders, managing consultants, and preparing materials for the Planning Commission. This full-time, permanent role requires collaboration with residents and city officials to enhance neighborhood quality of life.
Salary: $52,260 - $81,874

Position Grade: 15G

Department: Planning and Urban Design Agency

Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)

Examination Number: EX1355

Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

Incumbents in this position are responsible for researching, collecting, analyzing, summarizing and presenting information for recommending solutions to economic development and urban growth related problems. Duties include leading a team to plan with residents the future of their neighborhoods by assisting with policies, regulations, and programs pertaining to land uses that support housing, education, health, safety and sustainability; and coordinating and participating in the writing, map making and analysis of planning issues and concerns affecting neighborhood organizations and individuals.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

● Serves as a planner for the agency to project manage the creation and adoption of community stakeholder-driven neighborhood plans for all neighborhoods as supplements to the City of St. Louis Comprehensive Plan. Neighborhood plans would consist of Planning Areas that feature one or several adjoining neighborhoods. There exist 79 neighborhoods rich with history, cultural events, institutions, dining, schools, housing, unique architecture, and more. Many areas are ripe for redevelopment and opportunities for infill residential and commercial development activities that increase the quality of life. Assignments and responsibly will include:

○ Engaging with neighborhood residents, business owners, organizations to build consensus and collect feedback for visioning, strategies, and priorities to create and adopt a plan. The Plan would seek recommendations to implement the community vision and aspirations, build on assets, take advantage of opportunities, and identify partners to improve neighborhood quality of life for all.

○ Coordinating and participating in the writing, map making and analysis of the planning problems including citywide or regional issues or concerns related to or affecting neighborhood-level organizations or persons.

● Coordinates with and manages consultants assisting with neighborhood planning projects;

● Participates and assists in maintaining transparency and a commitment to best practices for the agency by:

○ Developing neighborhood-informed and equity-conscious planning recommendations, reports and estimates regarding planning data and issues.

○ Presenting and discussing, via a variety of media, complex projects, information, and procedures with the general public, city officials, developers, and others involved with agency operations when directed by management.

○ Providing information and technical assistance to the public, city officials, city agencies, developers, landowners and others regarding planning matters and data.

● Prepares support materials and updates for the citizen-chaired Planning Commission, which conducts monthly meetings.

● Conducts research on best practices and policy approaches to advance community goals related to planning issues such as housing, economic development, sustainability, transportation, and more. This may include:

○ Reviewing state enabling legislation and local ordinances to analyze the existing policy context.

○ Working with partners within PDA, other City departments, and in the community to understand opportunities and constraints.

○ Identifying and evaluating precedent approaches.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

● Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid to upper-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude and appraise. Requires discretion in determining and referencing such to established criteria to define consequences and develop alternatives.

● Human Interaction: Requires the ability to persuade, convince, and provide guidance, assistance and/or interpretation to others on how to apply policies, procedures and standards to specific situations.

● Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as motor vehicle, computer terminal, still camera, telephone, photocopier, fax machine and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

● Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a variety of advisory data and information such as planning reports, maps, building inspection reports, census data, environmental reviews, spreadsheets, financial statements, federal register, ordinances, statutes, procedures, guidelines and non-routine correspondence.

● Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate decimals and percentage; basic & advanced algebra, statistical inference.

● Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as supervising, directing, leading, planning, coordinating, & controlling. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule-form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objective.

● Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable.

● Environmental Factors: Work is normally performed in an office environment under generally safe and comfortable conditions

● Physical Requirements: Requires the ability to lift, push and pull papers and other office materials weighing up to twenty (20) pounds. Requires the ability to bend and twist to perform office duties.

● Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify similarities or differences between characteristics of shapes to conduct site inspections and sounds to communicate with others.