Dear editor:

My letter to our elected Park County Commissioners: 

Why did you relinquish your authority to hired Planning Director Joy Hill, to dictate how 12,407 property owners would be notified of proposed zoning changes? Is it because we pay her $86,364 per year, but we only  pay you $36,174? Do you also plan to turn your authority to review permits over to Planner Joy Hill? 

Why did you agree with Joy Hill when she told you that mailing surveys to us would be a poor use of  taxpayer money? Is $10,000 for one mailing to 12,407 property owners more than the $300,000 to  $800,000 we have heard this process has cost us so far? With 145% increase in our property taxes over  the last three years, your excessive spending on this unnecessary rezoning process is NOT responsible  management of our tax dollars, and will diminish our property rights. 

In 1998, the Planning & Zoning Commission mailed surveys to 4,800 property owners. The  Commission received 2,500 surveys in return, over 50%; ALL from property owners! Joy Hill claims 1,865 “responses” to her current method as of 3-7-25. That’s only about 15% of 12,407 property  owners, but “over 75% of the respondents noted that they live in the planning area they provided  feedback on,” not that they were property owners.  

In Commissioner Overfield’s 5-15-25 Tribune article she states, “People can provide public input on  the zoning map at engageparkcounty.com.” That can only come from property owners who subscribe to local newspapers, own computers and are comfortable navigating the website. Even several who did attend meetings had no idea about the sweeping changes you are proposing. Not one of the two dozen owners I have spoken to so far are aware of your plans. You will not receive responses from the owners you did not have the respect to contact.  

Would you not want to ensure EVERY property taxpayer was aware in advance of new zoning to avoid  a deluge of permit applications, zoning variance requests, or worse, lawsuits?  

How and when will you notify ALL property owners of what the new zoning enforcement will entail  after our properties are no longer grandfathered? Not only to us, but to our heirs or buyers. When you change our zones, you change our Uses, which in turn can change our taxes. 

Overfield also said, “That is what the public input indicated at the meetings, that’s where they would  like to see industrial or commercial or ag.” The Draft Map only shows Industrial zoning on Powell’s  south side. Who are “they” who want to see 31 properties, approximately 1,000 acres, against the south Powell city limits, amid farming, rural residences and businesses, become Industrial? You cannot (or will not) tell us. Any large industry should probably be built on the bench where the water and power infrastructure is already in place, and it does not affect the quality of adjacent Powell properties; owned by people you did not contact. 

Planning Director Hill wrote, “Unfortunately, we have tried numerous attempts to involve the public  both in-person and online, but we can’t force people to participate.” So you and Hill are blaming us for not responding? We are only unresponsive because we were uninformed! None of your “numerous attempts” included any direct contact with property owners.

The fatal flaw with your consultant’s website is that anyone can comment on any or every property,  whether or not they own the property, they are a Park County or even a Wyoming resident. So how  pertinent, or damaging, are the 1,865 anonymous responses?  

The speaker at your meetings who you allowed to repeatedly ask something like, “When you drive to and from work and look at our beautiful country, what do you want to see on that land?,” is your silent endorsement of public interference with the property rights of ‘we the people’ who pay your salaries. 

Hill wrote,”We have offered several opportunities to provide input so far and there will be more opportunities in the future,” and Commissioner Overfield said, “While phase one regulations are nearing another vote, phase two, which includes any zoning changes, are still very much in the public input phase,” however, the agenda on your website clearly reads: “Phase 3: February December 2025 /SECOND ROUND AMENDMENTS / Open Houses-January / Planning Area  Meetings-March / Draft second-round amendments / Adopt second-round amendments / Worksession  #4,#5,#6,#7,#8-Board & P&Z Commission.” No opportunities for public input are visible on that agenda. Do you plan to leave it hidden in minuscule printed circles on the bottom of the website home  page and hope that we don’t find it? Or will you mail a notice to every property owner so they might  have a last-ditch chance to make a comment? We already know what your “public” thinks we should do with our property. 

Inquiring,

Kay Anderson

Powell