The Park County commissioners are listening to their constituents.

On Tuesday, even after the mention of a lawsuit being likely if they upheld denial, commissioners unanimously upheld by planning and zoning a decision to deny a special use permit for a cell tower in the Wapiti Valley. 

The decision was followed by applause from the large crowd, which was too big for all to fit in the meeting room.

The decision gives further proof that, in Park County, our local government officials do listen to us. 

I'm not saying every county resident asking for something gets what they want — obviously that's not the case. But, when dozens of Wapiti Valley residents packed multiple meetings and delivered hours of comments universally objecting the construction of a more than 180-foot-tall cell tower smack dab in the middle of the valley, commissioners listened. 

It's a good preview for a group that will soon be using recommendations from a new land use plan, built in part by massive amounts of feedback by community members, to adopt new policy that will help determine the future land use of rural areas throughout Park County. 

In other words, the commissioners are listening, clearly wanting to do what the majority of county residents would prefer on decisions that allow for subjective assessment of a situation. 

For me, the decision in Wapiti gives me confidence that the commissioners have listened to the vast majority of Powell area residents who prioritize preserving ag land and restricting massive, small-lot subdivisions far away from City of Powell boundaries. 

I'm confident property rights will remain a key consideration, but when a project on private land could detrimentally impact the surrounding landscape, there's clearly more they will consider. If that translates to someday soon rezoning large tracts of rural ag land around Powell to require far larger lots than 1 acre minimum, I'm confident the recent, lengthy land use plan process was a worthwhile investment of time.