After numerous meetings between Park County commissioners and planning and zoning members, phase one of the amended development standards and regulations are close to being finalized. 

Commission Chair Dossie Overfield said in her twice-monthly update May 6 that they’re figuring out one section with attorneys, at which point the revised draft will be again put out for a 45-day period before another hearing. 

The last time the county commissioners held a hearing on the first phase, a crowd of people packed into the Cody Library’s Grizzly Room and nearly all objected to something or other in the amendments, although many noted their issues may be more applicable to the second phase of changes. 

That second phase, and the working zoning map created from it, has caused some concerns amongst some of the people who have looked it over. 

For instance, Powell property owner Greg Anderson attended the meeting for a discussion on a rails to trails project championed by Powell Economic Partnership Executive Director Rebekah Burns. When talking about land he owns along the railroad, he mentioned that the zoning map shows a large stretch of industrial zoned land all along U.S. Highway 14/16/20W east and west of Powell. 

“Along this corridor, the proposed plan is industrial now, I couldn't do anything I want to do,” he said. 

Overfield said that map, available at engageparkcounty.com, reflects the desires of people who have attended previous meetings and is not a reflection of the commissioners’ ideas of what the final zoning should look like. She’s repeated that contention on social media recently as a petition calling for a change in the county planning director has gained publicity. 

“That is what the public input indicated at the meetings, that’s where they would like to see industrial or commercial or ag,” she said at the meeting. “That's all public input at this point. The consultants have given us no advice on where those areas should be at this time.”

While phase one regulations are nearing another vote, phase two, which includes any zoning changes, are still very much in the public input phase. 

People can provide public input on the zoning maps at engageparkcounty.com.