Dear editor:

DEADLINES! Friday, May 30, 2025 is the last day for Park County property owners to comment on zoning changes in person, and Saturday, May 31, 2025 is the last day for comments on the Draft Zoning Map online. 

FIND YOUR PROPERTY on page 8 of this edition or at engageparkcounty.com to READ YOUR ZONE DESCRIPTIONS! Examples: 

Gray = Industrial — your property taxes will increase to 11.5% and not allow you to build homes, operate a small business, family subdivide, or anything else not listed in the Industrial “Description of Uses.” If your property is adjacent to a Gray area, your personal comfort or property values may be adversely affected by Industrial neighbors. Submit your comments!! Dark gold = Residential-5 — will not allow business; i.e., (raise and sell animals, or produce, mechanic shop, beauty salon, etc.), and may restrict family subdivision. 

Gold = Estate Residential — will not allow business (i.e., trucking, construction, livestock, plant nursery, create/alter garments, radio station, outdoor movie theater, etc.), and may restrict family subdivision. Many current rural Park County business properties will be zoned Estate Residential, including Road 9 from Lane 10 to the Willwood in Powell. 

If you are operating a business on your Park County property now, and it’s rezoned to Residential, your business will only be grandfathered until you make a change that requires a permit i.e., (to construct/reconstruct any buildings inside or outside, change the use, replace windows, fencing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, replace a septic system, setup a storage container or RV site), and may prevent the sale of your business. Property taxes could increase in all zones with the new categories and uses. 

If you take no action to dispute zone changes that will increase your taxes and/or limit you and your heirs’ freedom of use, planning and zoning and a majority of your county commissioners will approve them, assuming it is acceptable to you. 

There are 12,407 Park County property owners, but only 1,865 responses have been submitted, with just 75% from those residing on the property. Please enter your comments on the online map or email your comments relating to your property/area to Planning and Zoning Director Joy Hill: joy.hill@parkcounty-wy.gov. She is eager to hear from you. 

If you do not have a computer or wish to see a large map and submit your comments in writing, please visit the Planning and Zoning office in the old Park County courthouse, on the main floor next to the commissioners office BY Friday, May 30. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday thru Friday 307-527-8540. 

Park County Commissioners on the P&Z committee: 

Dossie Overfield — 307-587-5388 (cell), dossie.overfield@parkcounty-wy.gov

Kelly Simone — 307-250-3045, kelly.simone@parkcounty-wy.gov

Respectfully,

Kay Anderson

Powell