Director of Planning

The Director of Planning is a professional management position responsible for administering, directing, and supervising the operations, personnel, programs, and budget of the Planning Department for the Town of Elkton. The Director provides leadership in the areas of land use planning, zoning administration, community development, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance.

The Director serves as staff liaison to the Mayor and Commissioners, the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals, the Historic District Commission, and other boards, committees, and regional agencies as assigned. The position works collaboratively with elected officials, department heads, developers, consultants, regulatory agencies, and the public to guide responsible growth and redevelopment consistent with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and community goals.

The position functions as the Town’s primary planning official and represents the Town in regional, state, and intergovernmental planning matters.

• Administers and oversees implementation of the Town Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, Critical Area Program, Forest Conservation regulations, floodplain management requirements, and other applicable federal, state, county, and local land use regulations.
• Serves as the Town’s primary land use policy advisor, providing technical guidance and recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Commissioners.
• Develops, recommends, and implements short- and long-range planning initiatives, policies, programs, and strategic objectives.
• Researches, prepares, and coordinates updates and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, Critical Area Program, and related ordinances and policies.
• Reviews development, redevelopment, subdivision, site plan, annexation, and zoning applications for compliance with applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and adopted planning policies, and presents findings to the Planning Commission and elected officials as required.
• Oversees permitting coordination and technical review processes to ensure consistency between approved plans, zoning requirements, and engineering standards.
• Directs coordination with developers, engineers, attorneys, and applicants to ensure timely and compliant development review processes.
• Oversees consultant procurement and management, including preparation of requests for proposals (RFPs), contract administration, and performance oversight.
• Directs enforcement activities related to zoning, Critical Area, Forest Conservation, and other land use violations, including field inspections and complaint investigations.
• Oversees grant identification, application, administration, and compliance for federal, state, and private funding sources supporting planning, infrastructure, historic preservation, and community development initiatives.
• Prepares and administers the annual departmental budget and provides ongoing financial oversight, including expenditures, billing, invoicing, development fee tracking, and reconciliation.
• Represents the Town at regional and intergovernmental forums, including WILMAPCO Technical Advisory Committee meetings, MDOT coordination meetings, Cecil County Council hearings on annexations, and other related meetings to ensure coordination and alignment with external agencies and regulatory partners.
• Coordinates and prioritizes development application workflow to ensure efficient processing, tracking, distribution, monitoring progress and timely completion of reviews across internal and external reviewers.
• Interprets and applies land use regulations, policies, and procedures, and provides guidance to staff, applicants, elected officials, and the…