Bluff commission to draft comments on San Juan County rezoning proposals for lands bordering town

The Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission on March 6 agreed to prepare comments on San Juan County’s proposed rezoning for land adjacent to Bluff and to draft a letter outlining preferred zoning and concerns.

Commission Chair Amanda Podmore said the commission should take the lead in drafting a response because the body is the town’s land-use recommending authority. “I think it should be on us to start drafting that letter,” she said. Commissioners said San Juan County planner Kristen’s presentation and a color-coded county chart showing proposed zones and permitted uses are available on the San Juan County website and should inform the commission’s comments.

Commissioners discussed two top aims for the letter: (1) indicate whether the commission supports the county’s proposed zones for specific parcels that abut Bluff and (2) recommend which county zone type should apply if a parcel were to become county-managed land. Commissioners said the preferred approach is to ask the county to select zone categories that are most compatible with the prevailing adjacent uses and to identify specific uses they would accept or oppose in the county chart’s “multiple use” categories.

Timing and process questions remained unresolved. Erin Nelson said she would check with the town council about whether the commission’s response should be sent as a planning-and-zoning recommendation or as a town-level comment coordinated with council. Commissioners agreed they should produce a draft before the commission’s March 20 work session so the group can edit and, if necessary, vote on it; the county’s web materials did not show a hard deadline for comments.

Two commissioners volunteered to draft an initial template and to review the county chart of uses; the group agreed to circulate a draft for group editing ahead of the next work session. Commissioners advised drafters to align comments to Bluff’s existing zone categories where possible and to identify specific items in the county chart they oppose or want clarified.

What happens next: Volunteers will prepare a draft letter and a short list of specific use items to accept or object to from the county chart; Erin Nelson will confirm timing and whether the commission should submit comments independently or via town council.