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Bluff commissioners discuss WUI overlay map options; consider adding built-up '4' areas to required '5 and above' map
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Summary
Commissioners reviewed the state-required Wildland-Urban Interface overlay using the risk-explorer map (HB 4182 referenced), debated whether to extend protection to adjoining '4' areas near built neighborhoods, and agreed to prepare two visual map options for the next meeting.
Commissioner Marcia Haydenfeld led the Bluff Planning & Zoning Commission through a detailed discussion of the state-required Wildland-Urban Interface overlay and the risk-explorer mapping tool during the April 16 work session.
Haydenfeld said the new state guidance underpinning the map (referred to in the meeting as HB 4182) requires municipalities to adopt an overlay that includes areas rated "5 and above." "So the deal is, according to the new law, we can only have 5 and above in our WUI," she said, while also noting the town can request state fire officials to approve additional areas.
The core dispute among commissioners was whether to include adjacent areas labeled '4' where housing is already built and lots sit close together. Several commissioners argued including those pockets protects dense residential clusters and ensures new construction meets higher wildfire-resistant standards. Others urged limiting the overlay to the statutorily required fives to reduce regulatory burden and potential insurance impacts on homeowners. The chair framed the policy choice: "The biggest thing for discussion is do we want to include these number fours in the number 5," and urged commissioners to weigh proximity, hydrant access and road access when deciding boundaries.
Technical considerations discussed included the overlay's effect on plan review and building standards (applies mainly to new builds or major remodels), the town's responsibility for inspection and mitigation enforcement, and the potential influence on homeowner insurance. Commissioners reviewed local features on the risk-explorer map — named areas included Twin Rocks, Cottonwood and Desert Rose — and proposed practical boundary options: (a) adopt the required '5 and above' overlay only, or (b) adopt '5 and above' plus a small adjacent '4' pocket where development density justifies inclusion.
Actionable next steps: commissioners asked staff to produce two map options and screenshots — a minimal map (5+) and a proposed map including a limited '4' area (one commissioner volunteered to refine the screenshots). Those maps will be presented at the next P&Z meeting for a formal recommendation to town council. The commission did not vote at the work session.
Commissioners emphasized that final inclusion of any '4' areas would be subject to review by state fire officials and town council approval.