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Bluff council and planning commissioners align on 2026 goals, prioritize zoning code rewrite and public mapping
Summary
At a Feb. 19 joint work session, Bluff Town Council and Planning & Zoning agreed to align 2026 priorities—focusing on housing, a comprehensive zoning‑code review targeted for completion by December, consistent ordinance enforcement, and public access to interactive mapping; P&Z will finalize priorities March 5.
Bluff Mayor Josh Ewing and Planning & Zoning Chair Malia Collins led a joint work session on Feb. 19 in which the Town Council and Planning & Zoning Commission agreed to align their priorities for 2026, placing a comprehensive zoning‑code review, housing availability and public mapping among the top items.
Ewing outlined Council priorities that intersect with P&Z initiatives, including diversified housing availability, public safety, road infrastructure, secondary water rights and livability projects such as trail systems. "There is a state program that can assist small communities create interactive maps," Ewing said, and the group agreed to explore that resource to improve public access to zoning, roads and alley/easement information.
P&Z commissioners said professional development and staying current with new state land‑use legislation are critical. Chair Malia Collins said commissioners will separate building‑department‑specific comments from broader zoning issues and pursue a robust public comment process for any major code amendments. The commission set a target to complete the zoning‑code deep dive by December 2026.
Commissioners also flagged enforcement as a priority, recommending language cleanup in land‑use ordinances so penalties are consistent with violation severity. The commissioners' draft priorities reviewed at the meeting included establishing zoning for cemeteries; prioritizing professional development and statutory compliance; clarifying enforcement mechanisms; updating zoning and intersecting codes; conducting site visits for subdivisions; advancing housing goals; improving mapping with hazard overlays such as floodplain and wildland‑urban interface; and adopting flood‑resilient guidelines.
Ewing, Collins and Commissioner Marcia Hadenfeldt intend to attend a SERDA land‑use training on March 2 in Monticello; other members may attend. The group deferred a detailed review of 2025 and 2026 land‑use legislation to the March 5 meeting to allow time for fuller discussion. P&Z will finalize its 2026 priorities at that March 5 meeting. The session adjourned at 7:13 p.m.
Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes include P&Z prioritizing its goals, collaborating with Council on specific initiatives such as housing and road mapping, and initiating a public comment process for zoning‑code changes.
