The second phase of regulation amendments tied to the new Park County Land Use Plan is underway, and the first stab at getting residents’ input is in the form of a just-released questionnaire. …
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The second phase of regulation amendments tied to the new Park County Land Use Plan is underway, and the first stab at getting residents’ input is in the form of a just-released questionnaire. A series of public meetings is also slated for next week in Cody and Powell.
The survey had to go through some revisions to eliminate what some saw as controversial aspects before being ready to send out.
“We're trying to get out how much review people want to see for specific uses,” Planning and Zoning Director Joy Hill said at an early January work session. “We can already predict uses that are going to fall in the minimum category — just historically, we already can tell — but there are going to be certain uses that are going to pop out on these tables. And so it'll be interesting to see, you know, where people are wanting more public input in the process.”
The questionnaire went through changes at various stages before being finalized, including at the planning and zoning and county commission levels.
A big final sticking point was brought up by Commissioner Lloyd Thiel at a Jan. 7 work session. He objected to some wording, including a section that allowed a respondent to say they would prefer not to have, at all, many agricultural uses allowed in their planning area. The draft presented at that meeting included a number of topics where the questions ranged from whether the one taking the questionnaire wanted a range from a minimum of regulations to the use not being allowed.
That included a series of questions regarding agriculture uses of land.
“First off, it's offensive as hell,” Thiel said, adding “You have four answers. No matter what, you're going to get a regulation. If you have ‘not allow this use,’ then you should have a category that says no regulations at all.”
After discussion, the survey was tweaked to include a bubble to “allow without permit or staff review.”
Hill said the intent was not to tip the scales one way or another and said she figured in a lot of areas most people would be very opposed to any limits on ag. But, she noted, all uses technically have some level of regulation, even if it’s just getting a permit. She also added that many ag uses are grandfathered into the current regulations and thus wouldn’t be impacted regardless.
Other questions cover a variety of land uses — including how much to regulate various residential, commercial (including short term rentals), industrial uses and even whether large events should be allowed, and if so, how often and how many people. Hill said she was interested to see what residents think about businesses in their areas like dog kennels and breeding operations, which have recently become more common.
Out of a rural Park County population of more than 13,000, Hill said she and the consultants are hoping to get as many as 1,000 respondents on the high end.
She said even having a couple hundred below that goal would still represent a statistically significant result, according to consultants Logan Simpson helping with this process.
An intro to the questionnaire explains that the county is “seeking feedback on which specific uses should be allowed and what standards should apply to different areas.”
“The County understands that development regulations and standards should be specific to the uniqueness of the different Planning Areas,” it reads in part.
The questionnaire and further information about the Development Standards and Regulations (DSR) update process is available at engageparkcounty.com.
Those who would prefer a hard copy of the survey may contact 307-527-8540 or planning@parkcounty-wy.gov, or visit the Planning and Zoning Department (1002 Sheridan Ave., Suite 109, Cody, WY 82414). There will also be printed copies available at the Powell and Cody libraries.
Hardcopies must be returned to the Planning and Zoning Department by no later than the close of business on Feb. 24.