Tim and Gina Leonhardt are seeking a variance from the requirement for City of Cody public water and sewer so they can develop a multi-family residential area consisting of four duplexes on their rural property.

The Leonhardts are also requesting a special use permit (SUP) that would allow them to bypass the requirement.

On June 21, the commissioners discussed these requests and some of the potential problems that could come with it. 

In their request to Park County Commissioners, the Leonhardts stated they need the variance because the only way for them to satisfy the requirement to connect their lot to municipal water and sewer would be to ask the city to annex their property. 

“Because of the expense of annexation in both dollars and time, this requirement would deprive us of reasonable use of the land and would, in fact, force us out of the county,” they said in the request.

The Planning and Zoning Committee advised commissioners to deny the variance request because not all of the requirements for a variance have been met. Committee members recommended annexation, arguing that current and future use of the land would be best served by services offered within the City of Cody. 

They also recommended the commissioners deny the SUP because the property doesn’t have public sewer or water — and because the Leonhardts oppose a condition requiring that their rental contracts run for six months or more.

One of the major concerns surrounding this SUP is the water and sewer service. The Leonhardts are requesting the variance because in order to obtain a special use permit for a multi-family structure, the property must be connected to city water and sewer.

County commissioners said they will continue discussing the Leonhardts’ variance and SUP request after they have spoken with the City of Cody as well as the property’s neighbors about connecting it to municipal water through the south side of the highway.  

The matter will be taken up again at the Board of Commissioners’ meeting on July 12, beginning at 10 a.m.