Our Mission
The Community Development (CD) Department at SEARP&DC provides a wide range of professional administrative services to the seven southeastern Alabama counties: Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston.

All of the CD staff members are specifically trained and experienced in grant writing, grant administration, planning, and economic development. Our department has proven to be one of the most productive Community Development departments in Alabama, having written several of the highest rated Community Development Block Grant applications in the State of Alabama. Services provided by our staff include:

Grant Services
Mapping Services
Planning Services
Technical Assistance Services

Southeast Alabama Rural Planning Organization (RPO)
Personnel

Grant Services
Click here for a complete review of the various grant services we perform.

Mapping Services
Mapping services are available for communities in the SEARP&DC region. These services include:

Infrastructure mapping of sewer, water, gas, electric and drainage facilities.

County, state and federal transportation maps.

Redistricting maps depicting boundary lines.

Zoning maps showing property lines, township, section, range, and current zoning.

Census tract maps showing tract and block data.

Planning Services
The Community Development Department provides a variety of planning services. These services are presented below:

Comprehensive Planning
This activity involves extensive study and evaluation of a community's past, current and projected situation with the goal of establishing progressive yet obtainable objectives over an extended period of time, usually twenty years. SEARP&DC provides complete comprehensive planning services including but not limited to application and document preparation, support mapping preparation, hearing administration, funding administration, technical assistance, and citizen participation surveys.

Land Use Planning
This activity involves the extensive study and evaluation of a community's present land usage and seeks to provide a specific mechanism for future land use that will enhance and develop the community.

Zoning Ordinance Creation and Revision
Ordinances are the means by which communities control and protect the human environment through the establishment of use districts, provisions, covenants or other measures.

Subdivision Regulation Preparation
Regulations governing the development of residential or commercial subdivisions are an important part of an overall community development plan. SEARP&DC provides technical expertise in the critical area.

Transportation Planning
Community development centers around the transportation infrastructure of the area. The study and evaluation of community transportation services and needs is an important element to community growth.

Planning Fund Grant Preparation and Administration
All projects, whether large or small must be planned properly in order to prevent poor performance. The preparation of planning grant applications provides the means by which these planning efforts may be funded.

Technical Services
The professional staff members of the Community Development Department offer all of the communities in the Southeast Alabama region technical assistance in areas of planning, grant writing, administration, data collection and analysis, and economic development. Each staff member is available to meet with community and business leaders to discuss community problems and define the various resources available for assistance.

Personnel

Scott Farmer, Director,
(334) 794-4093, Extension 1412. >>>E-mail Scott

David Lebert, Regional Planner,
(334) 794-4093, Extension 1409. >>>E -mail David