County planning staff presented a method on Jan. 8 to fold the expanded definitions from a 2025 draft zoning code into the county's existing 2011 zoning ordinance, and the San Juan County Planning Commission directed staff to continue the work and return with subsequent chapters.

Staff told the commission the 2011 ordinance contains 96 definitions and the 2025 draft contains 226, with 65 definitions overlapping between the two drafts and 161 new or expanded entries in the 2025 document. Rather than repealing and replacing the 2011 chapter wholesale, staff proposed keeping the 2011 code as the live document and using a strike/blue-insert format that shows what is removed and what staff, community and the commission recommend adding. Staff said the approach is more time-consuming but provides greater transparency.

Commissioners asked for clarifications about terminology and legislative sources. A commissioner asked whether the phrase "internal unit" for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) was state-law language; staff replied it was and explained that an "internal" ADU could be a conversion of space inside a primary dwelling, such as a garage repurposed for living space. Commissioners also flagged punctuation and phrasing issues in airport-related definitions and requested minor wording edits for clarity.

The commission discussed whether to restore a separate definition for "appeal authority," noting the 2011 ordinance included an appeals section even if it did not contain that exact definition. Staff agreed to highlight appeal-related materials in the next packet and revisit the question when the appeals section is considered. The commission asked staff to proceed with chapters B'Z at future meetings rather than attempt to bring the entire code in a single month.

Staff also reported they are converting the 2011 code from PDF into an editable Word file (about 90% complete) so edits can be shown as deletions and insertions in future packets. The commission instructed staff to continue the transparent strike/insert approach and to return next month with more chapters and the corrected digital materials.

The action is procedural: staff will continue the merge and present subsequent chapters for review rather than a final adoption vote. The commission did not adopt any ordinance at this meeting; follow-up hearings and formal action will be scheduled as chapters are completed.