John Bissell, AICP 
Planning Director
johnb@harmsenllc.com
John specializes in project entitlement, current planning, and finding the best path to project approval. He is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. John graduated from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and has continued his a his education with additional course work in planning law, bicycle and pedestrian facility planning, ethics and business development.
John’s experience includes land use planning consulting for private developers, cities, tribes, and the federal government. This experience ranges from project management, team building, entitlement acquisition, code and master plan writing, and permit review. John is an expert in variances, deviations, conditional use permits, design review and other discretionary applications.
John's responsibilities include:
| Manage development project applications |
| Manage consultant teams |
| Develop project strategies |
| Prepare zoning analyses |
| Perform feasibility studies |
| Prepare SEPA, declarations of compliance and other entitlement documents |
| Work with jurisdictions on project entitlement |
| Represent clients at hearings |
| Provide expert consultation, code and plan writing, and permit overflow review for jurisdictions |