The La Plata County Planning Department and Planning Commission are starting again on a comprehensive plan. This time it's an update to the plan approved in 2001 rather than starting from scratch on a new plan.

The county tried that starting with a visioning process in 2009. The Planning Commission severely modified and then scrapped it in late 2011 after opposition from some citizens. That prompted the resignation of Planning Director Erick Aune.

Planning staffers met with the planning commissioners on Feb. 5 to discuss the process. They will have special meetings the first Thursday of each month to work on the plan, probably through 2016 into 2017.

Planning Commission Chair Jim Tencza is the only current commissioner who was on the commission during the previous effort. He had all planning commissioners and alternates seated to maximize their participation in the process.

Comp plans are not new in the county, planning staffer Jason Meininger said. The first one was in 1963, followed by 1971, 1984, 1990, and 2001, he said. Comp plans weren't required by state statute until the early 2000s, he said. Meininger was in charge of the 2009-2011 comp plan process.

Planning commissioners got a run-down on the state statute requirement for counties with population above 10,000 to have a comprehensive plan, also known as a master plan, and things the plan must include, such as recreation and tourism.

"We have a recreation element (chapter)," planning staffer Daniel Murray said. "We'll make sure it includes tourism."

Counties also must have a master plan for commercial mineral extraction, and the general comp plan can't conflict with that, he said. Master plans are advisory unless parts or all are incorporated into a land use code or other regulatory document.

Planning Director Damian Peduto said that by statute, it's the planning commission that adopts a comp plan. They certify it to the county commissioners, who can accept it or send it back one time with comments. "From when it's certified to the county commissioners, it can be challenged for 180 days" from "any affected party," he said.

"The 180 days is a function of staff time," in terms of challenges, he said. "We don't want two groups of challenges overlapping. That's our way to manage the worst-case scenario."

Planning commissioners will go through the plan section by section and certify to the county commissioners section by section rather than wait until the whole thing is done, Peduto said. When one or more sections are certified, planning commissioners will move on to the next few sections to keep things moving.

Tencza commented, "Part of the objective was to package it in bits and pieces, so we don't end up in 2017 with something we're trying to get approved. Pieces at a time."

There was some concern that a section could be approved and a later but related section would end up in conflict.

"We'll keep track of those," Peduto said. "Finding conflicts isn't difficult. You have the hard part of making a decision, deciding which way to go, and we can make the change."

Sections that have been adopted can be changed if needed, he said.

Tencza said, "We'll give a clear indication of when an element will come on the calendar so you (community members) don't have to be sitting here every month. We should only be getting public comments on the element we're working on. If there are major issues, we can always pick them up in revisions."

Peduto commented, "If you are shooting for perfection, it will take a lot longer."

Asked how this new process will be different from the last one, he said, "We're talking about adopting a component at a time."

Once planning commissioners accept and certify one or more sections, the county commissioners will have the 180 days to review and accept what's been submitted, or accept it with comments, Peduto said. "They don't have the option to reject it."

In the 2009-2011 process, the comp plan was considered the preliminary to a new land use code. Peduto said, "It really doesn't matter" which comes first... It matters how you work with them - having a strong and healthy long range plan that works with a healthy long range code. I'm not billing you by the hour" like a private consultant.

Critics of the plan abandoned in 2011 complained that the county had spent around $700,000 on private consultants.

Planning commissioner Tom Gorton said he wants to make sure the comp plan and land use code work together. "Very few land use decisions in the 20 years I've been here did anyone bring out the 2001 plan. If we're going to spend this time and effort, there should be language to charge staff to make this a relevant document."

Peduto said the 2001 plan has been used, but it's very outdated with things that are no longer applicable. He noted land use reviews also involve district area plans adopted in the late 1990s. Only the southeast district has never adopted a plan with use designations.

Staffer Robert Bowie said he has gone through the 2001 plan for things that are totally outdated or no longer relevant and need to be removed, and relevant things that need to be added. Things will be added to the appendixes, including the district area plans and pending things like the airport master plan, also an implementation table with action items.

Appendix items can be changed or updated without going through a comp plan amendment process, Bowie said.

Residents can access the 2001 plan and the ongoing comp plan update process at http://co.laplata.co.us/departments_and_elected_officials/planning/comprehensive_plan. There's a place to submit comments.

"We'll accept comments any time," Meininger said. There's a phone number too (382-6263). The public process is very important. It's something we take very seriously."

The current schedule for first Thursday meetings is: March - introduction and growth trends; April/ May - agriculture; June/ July - infrastructure; August to October - extractive resources; November/ December - implementation.

For 2016: January to April - land use; May/ June - airport; July/ August - public safety; September to November - environmental resources; December - housing.

Parks, recreation, and trails are listed for 2017.