Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission endorses updated subdivision ordinance to meet state deadline

Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Amanda Podmore said Wednesday that the town must update its subdivision ordinance to comply with a 2023 Utah House and Senate bill and that the commission has until Dec. 31 to act. "We have until December 31 of this month to update the subdivision ordinance of our town," Podmore said during the public hearing.

The commission unanimously moved to recommend the draft ordinance to the Bluff Town Council for final approval. Commissioners said the draft—prepared using a state-funded template by the Hansen Group—aims to clarify which bodies have decision authority, shorten iterative review for developers and cap the number of review cycles to four before the planning commission reviews an application.

The draft replaces provisions that did not fit Bluff’s rural character (for example, removing mandatory green lawns and extensive lighting requirements) and explicitly allows options such as gravel roads. Public commenter Doug Harris had urged the commission to preserve opportunities for low-income housing and to keep the process as simple as possible; commissioners said those concerns have been considered in the draft.

Under the approved motion the commission will forward the final draft and accompanying materials to the town attorney and then to the town council for formal adoption. Podmore said the Hansen Group provided adoption templates and other supporting materials to help the town meet the expedited timeline.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation and the draft ordinance will be reviewed by the town attorney and placed on the town council agenda for final consideration. No effective date was set in the commission meeting record.