The Community Development Department implements community based strategies to enhance economic opportunity, build strong neighborhoods, protect Keene’s environment and natural resources and ensure a dynamic framework for quality growth and development while providing professional advice and technical expertise to promote and protect health, safety and the environment.

The work of the department ranges from reviewing, issuing, and inspecting building permits to long-range planning, food and health licensing and inspections, historic preservation, code enforcement, and GIS / mapping. The department is also responsible for staffing twelve boards and commissions.

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An important goal of the Community Development Department is to provide better customer service through a permit center where applications for the most common permits can be processed quickly at the point of contact with the customer. The Permit Technician and the Planning Technician positions are central to this approach, with cross-training to better serve the public. The process has been streamlined to provide direct interaction with other City departments, such as Public Works and Fire.