State land-use trainer reviews LUDMA, roles and public participation with San Juan County commissioners

On Sept. 2, 2025, Rob Terry, statewide land‑use training director at the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman, gave a training to the San Juan County Commission on the state legal framework and planning practice that guide local land‑use decisions.

Terry told the commission that the Land Use Development and Management Act (commonly called LUDMA) is the foundational state statute for land‑use law in Utah and walked through how local agencies use general plans, ordinances and zoning to implement community policy. “Everything that is land use law related within the state of Utah is going to have its foundational base in the Land Use Development and Management Act,” he said.

The presentation covered three practical areas: (1) required and recommended documents and processes (general plan, zoning and land‑use ordinances); (2) the roles of legislative bodies, the planning commission and designated land‑use authorities; and (3) the distinction between legislative decisions (adopting or amending laws and maps) and administrative decisions (applying adopted rules to a specific proposal).

Terry emphasized…