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Bluff planning commission starts future land-use map for General Plan 2025 update
Summary
The commission discussed mapping preferred growth areas — commercial along Highway 191, a potential factory/industrial site near the gravel pit, water-protection zones and a town gathering space — and set a timeline to have materials ready for the Oct. 28 public hearing.
Planning staff and commission members reviewed ideas for a future land-use map as part of the General Plan 2025 update and discussed how to present the map at the Oct. 28 public hearing.
Commission Chair Amanda Podmore and planning staff described a future land-use map as a policy tool distinct from zoning: it shows what the town prefers if it grows rather than the rules that now govern parcels. Staff proposed a simple map highlighting commercial concentration along Highway 191, a potential factory/industrial area near the gravel pit, preserved open space, a renewable-energy corridor on the Bluff Bench, and a single-source groundwater or water-protection zone.
Commissioners proposed additional elements. One commissioner suggested reserving space for a town “gathering space” or amphitheater, noting the loss of fairgrounds had reduced outdoor event capacity. Commissioners identified a parcel north of the school and the former fairgrounds area as possible locations for community events or a park that could connect to the school. The commission also discussed potential residential expansion north and south of Highway 191 and the practical limits posed by water access and private wells.
Staff said the future-land-use map can remain intentionally general at this stage. Aaron (planning staff) will lead map work and circulate a draft; commissioners suggested a participatory approach — for example, asking residents to mark preferences on a printed map. The commission agreed the map need not be highly detailed but should reflect the general policies the General Plan will recommend.
Timing and next steps: staff will prepare materials for posting by Oct. 15, with a combined public hearing for the General Plan update and the renewable-energy ordinance on Oct. 28. The commission discussed scheduling an additional work session (Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.) to refine map ideas and color-coding before the posting deadline.
No formal votes were taken during the discussion; commissioners directed staff to draft the map and noted topics for public review at the upcoming hearing.
