The Park County commissioners have taken a big step back to change and fine tune language, and receive and go through feedback on the development regulations amendments stemming from the new land use plan. 

Since a late January meeting where roughly 100 people spoke almost entirely in opposition to even the first phase of regulation amendments — most of which were deemed as "administrative changes” and ways to align with federal standards — commissioners have held two more work sessions with county planning and zoning board members, who also have to approve regulation amendments, to go through changes based on the concerns raised. 

At a Tuesday commission meeting, Chair Dossie Overfield said they’re working to form a technical committee to help with regulation revisions once the large amount of feedback on the second phase is collected and summarized. 

The county also opened up a second round of public input sessions for people to provide their thoughts on that second, more impactful round of regulations. That round will finish with a makeup date for weather-delayed Wapiti session on Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 

Speaking after Tuesday’s meeting, Overfield said the input sessions at a wider variety of places drew in more locals in areas such as Clark and the South Fork.

The deadline to submit a questionnaire on the regulations — available at parkcounty-wy.gov/planning-and-zoning — is Friday. 

The reason for continuing to move forward on phase two of the regulations while phase one is still being worked on is that both commissioners and planning board members are anxious for new rules to resolve issues arising under the current set. 

For instance, Commissioner Lloyd Thiel on Tuesday expressed frustration that trucking companies are only allowed in the county with a special use permit, since the rules classify the business as a cottage industry. Additionally, cottage industries can have no more than five nonresident employees.

“This is one of the regulations we ought to look at: Why in the world do we not want to allow a trucking company in the county?” Thiel said as they discussed a business in rural Powell. “Putting this under cottage industry is the problem we have right now.”

Overfield told him to hold on to his notes and add it to the list of issues they want to resolve as they move forward on the regulations process. 

Later in the same meeting, commissioners approved a variance request to allow an accessory dwelling on a 0.97 acre lot just east of Cody, which was slightly below the 1 acre minimum in the current rules. They agreed to allow the owners two years to construct the new dwelling instead of one before the variance expires. The hope was the new regulations may be in place by the expiration date, which may negate the variance being needed at all. 

“I want to make sure we as commissioners follow this through with the [development standards and regulations],” Commissioner Kelly Simone said. 

Phase two of the regulations process is expected to continue the rest of the year. The next round of meetings is tentatively scheduled for late March, although dates could change.