County Commission Approves Light Industrial Zoning Change for Subdivision; Reverses Previous Decision
The Natrona County Commission on Tuesday approved a zone change to allow light industrial development in a subdivision near Bar Nunn.
The vote, after heated opposition by dozens of county residents, reversed a denial of the same request on June 3.
The rare re-hearing came after a commissioner in the majority who voted to deny the request in June said they had received new evidence about the application from developer Keith Tyler and his F.T. Investments LLC and land owner Vernon and Gloria Boyce Living Trust to change the zoning from Urban Mixed Residential to Light Industrial on 30 acres at 2744 Salt Creek Highway.
Commissioners believed they needed to reconsider their earlier decision based on the "new evidence." Otherwise, the developer would have needed to wait a year to refile the application.
Some who objected to the re-hearing said what was presented wasn't new at all, and wanted the commission to either table the issue or wait a year.
The lack of a definition of "new evidence" in county planning documents didn't help either.
County Attorney Bill Knight said the only thing he could cite was the Wyoming and U.S. Rules of Civil Procedure that governed trials. However, the commission meeting wasn't a trial.
After pro- and anti-zoning change members of the public spoke, commissioner Bill McDowell made a motion to declare that what was heard did, in fact, constitute "new evidence."
After further consultation with Knight, the commissioners voted unanimously in favor of McDowell's motion.
The commission followed that with a unanimous vote in favor of the zoning change.