The Natrona County Commission will give its next boost to the proposed Salt Creek Industrial Park when it considers a nearly $1.6 million grant request to extend publicly owned infrastructure in the park's area south of Bar Nunn.

The commission will hold a public hearing on a resolution to support the Casper-Natrona County Joint Economic Development Powers Board's grant request to the Wyoming Business Council of up to $1,583,000 to extend utilities that will be owned by the county.

The Joint Economic Development Board will match that request with $300,000 from developer FT Investments LLC and/or Rocking K Development LLC for a total project cost of $1,883,000, according to the agenda for the commission's meeting in the old courthouse at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The landowner, FT Investments, will also be paying $225,000 for the land.

The total $2.1 million project cost includes land, structures, rights-of-way, appraisals, architect's fees, site development and contingencies.

The expansion will extend water, sanitary sewer, electrical, telecommunications and natural gas services to the nine lots -- ranging in size from 2.5 acres to 7 acres -- proposed in the industrial park west of Salt Creek Highway. It will install a storm water drainage system and a detention pond to serve the industrial park and surrounding areas.

The project also will include an asphalt roadway 36 feet wide and 2,040 feet long.

According to the proposed timeline for the grant, the Wyoming Business Council's Business Ready Community Development program will receive it in December, the State Loan and Investment Board will consider it in January and the grant will be approved in February. Design and construction contracts will be bid from March to May, and construction will occur from May through October.

Earlier this year, the project met with opposition from some neighbors and other county residents who questioned the commission's actions on changing the zoning from Urban Mixed Residential to Light Industrial.

Last week, the county's Planning and Zoning Commission -- an advisory board to the Natrona County Commission -- approved a preliminary plat for the industrial park.

Other items on the commission's agenda include a resolution to establish an industrial road called "Westwind Road" -- under a provision in state law about a "road-building emergency" -- from approximately mile marker 195 on Interstate 25 west to the intersection of Six Mile Road and Commerce Drive, and extending Six Mile Road north a half-mile north to Bishop Road.

Tuesday afternoon, the commission will hold its unofficial work session beginning at 3:40 p.m. with discussions about the Pedro Aspen subdivision, the infrastruction improvements for the Salt Creek Industrial Park, and the Westwind Road.

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