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Bluff delays airport-overlay and capital-improvement review amid county planning pause
Summary
Bluff Town Council members agreed to delay detailed review of the capital improvement plan and a proposed Bluff Airport overlay zone after learning San Juan County planning actions are on hold and local agencies have not delivered required drafts.
Bluff Town Council members on March 11 agreed to defer substantive review of the town—s capital improvement plan, including work on a Bluff Airport overlay zone, until county and federal agencies provide missing information.
Council members said they had not received draft language from the town attorney or responses from Bureau of Land Management staff about how the town—s current airport use would interact with proposed backcountry designations. Marsha Hayden, who filed an email with the council that morning and who previously served on San Juan County planning and zoning, told the council she had spoken with Kristen Bushnell, San Juan County planning administrator, and was told county zoning changes were likely on hold for about six months.
The delay means Bluff will not finalize an airport overlay before the council—s next work session. Council discussion noted Monticello and other nearby offices have already developed overlay language that Bluff could adapt, but town staff reported they had not yet received a draft from those jurisdictions. The council chair said the town—s airport overlay had been expected earlier but that the lack of a county timeline and outstanding technical questions from the BLM made detailed work premature.
Council members also confirmed the town—s lease for the landing is current and paid on a year-to-year basis. That status reduces short-term pressure to adopt overlay rules before any new construction occurs, participants said.
Councilor Erin (staff member) recommended moving the airport-overlay and capital-improvement discussion to the April 8 work session so the town can gather drafts from neighboring offices and more complete answers from federal and county partners.
The town will continue outreach to Monticello and the county to obtain sample overlay language and to request that the BLM clarify whether the Monticello Field Office staffing and facility changes will affect airport planning work.
The council did not take a final vote on any ordinance or overlay language at the March 11 work session.
The council expects to place the overlay and capital-improvement items on the April 8 work session agenda for more detailed review if outside agencies provide the requested material.
