The Environmental and Development Services Department’s mission is to provide services and programs that promote a high quality of life in El Cerrito. The Department achieves this mission through planning and implementing programs and private and public development projects that support an attractive community, promote environmental quality and innovation, minimize environmental impacts, and continually enhance the community of El Cerrito and beyond.

The Environmental and Development Services Department includes the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Divisions to create a comprehensive focus on operational, environmental, and development services for residents and businesses.

Department Overview
The Environmental and Development Services Department serves to provide the community with creative guidance on, and effective implementation of, land use development, planning and building services, transportation and environmental policies, plans, programs and projects that maintain and enhance the City as a safe, vital, and attractive community. The Department achieves this through the following responsibilities:

• Maintain the vision of the City Council and citizens of El Cerrito pursuant to the goals of the General Plan
• Manage the City’s recycling and waste reduction programs
• Actively support residents, businesses and the City itself to make and implement environmental choices
• Help identify El Cerrito as a green place to live, build, and do business through the development and provision of environmental programs
• Planning and building of an attractive, safe community with a high quality, balanced mix of land uses and amenities
• Protect the environment by ensuring that development and land uses avoid or mitigate any potentially negative impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• Ensure that development and land uses comply with the City’s General Plan, Municipal and Zoning Codes, and all other applicable codes, plans, laws, regulations, and policies
• Provide customer-friendly, responsive, efficient and accurate environmental and development services to the public
• Review and process planning and building applications in a timely manner