Special meeting

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
FOR PUBLIC HEARING: 

UPDATED LAND USE PLAN
FOR PARK COUNTY, WYOMING
The Park County Planning and Zoning Commission (“Commission”) will hold a special meeting to conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at Noon, and consider certifying the proposed updated Park County Land Use Plan (“updated LUP”) for future adoption by the Board of County Commissioners (“Board”). The meeting will be held in the Grizzly Room, Park County Library, 1500 Heart Mountain St., Cody, WY.
According to Wyoming State Statute, Title 9, Chapter 8, Article 3 (W.S. § 9-8-301, et. seq.), all local governments shall develop a local land use plan within their jurisdiction. The 1998 Park County Land Use Plan, adopted by the Park County Board of Commissioners on September 15th, 1998, (“1998 LUP”) is the official land use policy document of the Commission, Board, and Planning and Zoning Department. Adoption of the 1998 LUP met the minimum substantive statutory requirements. Park County’s authority to regulate land use pertains to the unincorporated areas only. Local land use plans may guide local governments in adopting or amending local zoning regulations, however, such plans shall not be construed as a substitute for, or equivalent to, duly enacted local zoning regulations which have the force and effect of law.
Pursuant to W.S. § 18-5-201, et. seq., “The planning and zoning commission may prepare and amend a comprehensive [land use] plan…for promoting the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the unincorporated areas of the county, and certify the plan to the board of county commissioners.” Changes have occurred in land use patterns and types around Park County since the adoption of the 1998 LUP. The Commission and Board feel that it is time to evaluate and, where necessary, re-establish the County’s values and aspirations concerning the future of land use in unincorporated Park County. Many of the messages that were communicated in the 1998 LUP are mirrored in the updated LUP. In addition to updated vision statements and policy guidance, the updated LUP includes shared values, an updated land suitability analysis, and a Future Land Use Map for Park County. Careful attention was paid to the 12 planning areas in the County, to ensure that special land use considerations were captured for each. The Board appointed 16 members of the public to serve on a Land Use Plan Advisory Committee (LUPAC) to represent different geographies and interests in Park County. The LUPAC gathered and shared citizen perspectives and input on interim work products, assisted with community and stakeholder engagement by helping to get the word out, and generally served as community ambassadors for the LUP process.
The initial draft of the updated LUP was not adopted by the Board on October 17, 2023, following a public hearing on October 3, 2023, due to concerns about lot size minimums and the proposed Agricultural and Big Game Use Overlays. The Board and Commission discussed changes to the updated LUP on October 25 and November 7, 2023. The latest “adoption draft” of the updated LUP is the subject of the January 23, 2024 public hearing, which is a required step in the amendment/adoption process. Forthcoming adoption of the updated LUP (thereafter to be referred to as the 2024 Park County Land Use Plan) by the Board, if so decided, will supersede and replace the 1998 LUP, thus continuing the County’s fulfillment of the minimum substantive statutory requirements.
The updated LUP establishes an overarching vision and goals for the use of land in unincorporated Park County over the next 15 to 20 years, as informed by an extensive public outreach process. It is intended to guide day-to-day decisions regarding zoning, subdivision, and other standards and regulations that influence the physical growth and development of Park County; the allocation of staff time and other County resources; plans for public facilities, infrastructure and utilities; and the County’s ongoing work with various agencies and partners that have a vested interest in the future of Park County’s natural environment, economy and communities.
A copy of the draft updated LUP is available for public inspection at the following locations: Board of County Commissioners’ Office and Planning & Zoning Department; County libraries in Powell (217 E. 3rd St.), Cody (1500 Heart Mtn. St.) and Meeteetse (2107 Idaho St.); and on Park County’s website (www.parkcounty-wy.gov). Interested persons may submit data, views or arguments on this intended action orally at the public hearing and/or in writing to the Park County Planning & Zoning Department (mail: 1002 Sheridan Ave., Suite 109, Cody, WY 82414; in person: Park County Complex, 1501 Stampede Ave., Suite 2201, Cody, WY; or email: planning@parkcounty-wy.gov) by no later than 3:00pm on Friday, January 19, 2024. Park County has complied with the requirements of W.S. § 9-5-304 and interested persons may obtain a copy of the assessment used to evaluate the proposed rule pursuant to W.S. 9-5-304 at each location where a copy of the proposed rule is available for public inspection.
First Publ., Thurs., Dec. 21, 2023
Second Publ., Tues., Jan. 16, 2024