Director of Planning and Development Services

Location:  Town of Sunnyvale, TX Download:  Director of Planning and Development - Town of Sunnyvale, TX brochure

The Community

Sunnyvale, Texas, is home to approximately 8,540 residents and covers 16 square miles in Dallas County. The town is ideally situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with Highway 80 and future State Highway 190 providing access to the surrounding areas. Sunnyvale residents enjoy the benefits of small-town living combined with access to the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s thriving business, cultural, and social districts in a quiet, family-oriented setting. 

Historically, the Town of Sunnyvale is a young community. However, this active and growing town has its roots in the settlement days of Texas. Four rural hamlets, Long Creek, New Hope, Hattersville, and Tripp, merged in 1953 to form Sunnyvale. The town has grown and developed since then, yet it has managed to preserve the rural charm of its early days through careful and strategic planning. Sunnyvale is characterized by its rural environment, low density, high quality of life, and welcoming, friendly atmosphere. As the community continues to grow, residents and leaders have outlined a vision to maintain the current standard of living, encouraging large-lot, quality development and preserving the open space and small-town charm that define the community. In 2022, Sunnyvale was rated as the #2 city in America for outdoor living by Dwellics.com. 

The town offers a variety of recreational amenities at four beautiful parks. Jogging, walking, or biking across the open-air roads is a rare treat in most urban environments, but these luxuries are the pride of Sunnyvale and enhance its rural charm. With rolling pasture lands and sweeping meadows, it is easy to experience the true enjoyment of leisure living. The Town also hosts numerous family-friendly celebrations and festivals, including SunnyFest and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting. 

Sunnyvale enjoys a solid industrial base with manufacturing centers, a regional medical center, and increasing commercial and retail development. The town is home to several companies providing jobs and a tax base for the community. Sunnyvale also enjoys prime areas for future development of retail, commercial, and industrial sites along US Highway 80, Belt Line Road, Clay Road, and Collins Road. The Town’s 16-square-mile jurisdiction is less than 50 percent developed and characterized by custom, estate, and ranchette residential living. 

High-profile development projects underway or recently completed include Sunnyvale Park Square, a two-acre mixed-use development adjacent to Town Hall; Long Creek Crossing, a 10-acre master-planned development with Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Burger King; and Sunnyvale Centre, a 75-acre master-planned development with the recent addition of QuikTrip. Two new corporate headquarters, adding 1,000 new jobs, will be locating to Sunnyvale in the spring of 2023. A handful of residential neighborhoods are also under construction, with over 200 new homes expected in the next two to three years. 

A superior public school system, Sunnyvale ISD is a vital part of this dynamic, growing community. The district’s mission is to engage, equip, and inspire Sunnyvale students for the future of their choosing — whether that next step is heading to a university campus or enriching the Texas workforce. The district’s highly qualified teachers provide engaging lessons that spark curiosity and inquiry, leading to true in-depth learning. SISD believes that next-generation classrooms are possible now, and its teachers and students work collaboratively in modern, flexible, and sustainable learning environments designed with students in mind. 

The district has a total enrollment of about 1,975 students on four campuses. For those seeking higher education opportunities, Sunnyvale is conveniently located within easy distance of Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at Arlington, and all campuses of the Dallas County Community College District. 

Sunnyvale's population has grown by more than 8% since 2020 and its total tax base has more than doubled since 2013. Sunnyvale has a median income of $132,488 and an average home value of $435,167, 4th highest in Dallas County. 

Sunnyvale’s Vision

A growing community of small-town values, connected closely with our citizens, that continues to foster quality family residential and commercial development. 

Government

A highly educated and fiscally conservative community, Sunnyvale operates under a home-rule charter with a council-manager form of government. The community’s Town Council consists of six members elected at large by place, and the mayor is also elected at large. The mayor serves two-year terms, and council members serve three-year, staggered terms, all with no term limits. 

A professional Town Manager is appointed to manage day-to-day operations, overseeing staff and the organization’s budget. Town Manager Jeff Jones joined the Sunnyvale team in early 2022. He brought with him three decades of local government experience, most recently as President/General Manager of The Woodlands. 

Sunnyvale’s ad valorem tax rate is $0.4530 per $100 of valuation. Significant projects recently completed or underway include a new fire station, street maintenance and reconstruction, a visioning process to create a downtown district, planning efforts for various capital improvement projects, and the creation of two tax increment reinvestment zones. 

Planning and Development Services Department

The Planning and Development Services Department is responsible for the future planning, development, and orderly growth of the community. We are responsible for standards for protecting the community's health, safety, and general welfare through the enforcement, establishment, and implementation of standards for development further the community's vision. We ensure that the state and local codes are followed to enhance the quality of life and preserve the natural Sunnyvale character for current and future generations. The Development Services Department includes Planning, Engineering, Building Inspections, Code Enforcement, and Animal Control activities. 

The Position

Within administrative guidelines, the Director of Planning & Development Services oversees, supervises, manages, monitors and evaluates the planning and zoning, building inspections and permitting, and long-range planning, for the Town of Sunnyvale.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Directs guides, manages, and supervises the daily and long-range tasks of the Development Services department and its employees; facilitates the success of inspections, permitting, planning and zoning, project development, and code enforcement services.
• Conducts, participates in, and leads pre-application meetings and development meetings; performs consistent review and evaluation of plans being implemented and monitors project progress, compliance, and completion.
• In cooperation with the Chief Building Official, oversees all inspection work for ongoing, future, and current developments; identifies issues, permitting concerns, safety hazards or other; ensures the adherence to all regulations, laws, compliance policies, and protocols.
• Coordinates, organizes, and schedules the Development Review Committee; serves as a Senior Planner for planning and zoning and all Town Council requests and applications.
• Manages, directs, and oversees the maintenance of all town records, code updates, and development projects; creates and drafts extensive documentation for the use in administrative planning and decision-making; remains current on code changes and updates.
• Answers, responds, and manages development and zoning inquiries, requests, and complaints from the general public; handles issues that require a higher level of authority.
• Supervises, oversees, and manages the work of all staff within the department; delegate tasks, assigns work, monitors workflow, and evaluates performance; mentors, guides, and directs personnel, provides performance feedback, recommends disciplinary action, and performs hiring and terminations.
• Researches and stays current with all national planning practices and AICP standards; makes and recommends changes to policies, practices, and protocols for the success of short and long-range planning and development services activities.
• Protects, guards, and supports the community’s health, safety, and general welfare through the enforcement of Town codes and Ordinances, building and nuisance inspection, and the establishment and implementation of standards for development that further the Town’s goals, objectives, and long-range plans. 

Required Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of general purposes and techniques of planning, zoning, and land use development
• General knowledge of inspections and general engineering
• Knowledge of annexation laws and regulations
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal codes and ordinances
•       Knowledge of GIS software applications and file management procedures
•       Skill in reading, interpreting, and explaining laws and regulations
•       Skill in Supervision of assigned departments related to development.
•       Collecting, tabulating, organizing, evaluating, analyzing and presenting data and information.
•       Interpreting legal records, technical documents, and map specifications.
•       Interpreting and applying department standards and town policies.

Education and Experience

Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor’s Degree in City Planning, Public Administration, or a related field, plus at least seven (7) years’ experience in plan review, development standards, and local government, and at least four (4) years of supervisory experience is required.  An AICP Certification is highly preferred.  An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. 

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have municipal experience in planning and zoning, inspections, permitting, land use development, code enforcement services, and knowledge of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ). Experience in GIS, growth management, and innovative zoning or planning for environmentally sensitive areas is desired. Experience dealing with the complex issues related to a growing community will be beneficial. 

The ideal candidate will need to be creative and resourceful with proven experience in building and maintaining a broad spectrum of partnerships with the Town Manager, Town Council, department heads, and the community to ensure that a common vision is enacted and supported. 

The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader with experience working in a customer focused organization, setting a positive example of competence, professionalism, energy, and integrity. Effective communication along with strong collaboration, problem solving, and team building skills will be essential. The ideal candidate must have the capacity and interest to be an effective mentor for staff. 

Salary

The Town of Sunnyvale is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience, and provides a generous benefits program, including health, dental, life insurance, and paid vacation and sick leave. This position also receives a vehicle allowance, and Town employees’ children are invited to attend the highly acclaimed Sunnyvale ISD schools. 

The Town participates in the Texas Municipal Retirement System at a 7% percent employee deposit rate with a municipal matching ratio of 2:1. 

How to Apply

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to: 

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: TOSDPDS

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
888.321.4922
www.affionpublic.com

**The deadline to receive resumes is January 10, 2023**

The Town of Sunnyvale is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

 

 

Posted: 12/13/2022