County Commission Approves Three Subdivisions

The Natrona County Commission approved plats for three new subdivisions at its meeting Tuesday.

The plats were approved initially by the county's Planning and Zoning Commission in August 11, and received their final approval after public hearings.

The commission approved the request by James and Sharlynn Kountz for the two-lot, 12.5-acre Kountz Subdivision in the Rural Residential One zoning district at U.S. Highway 20-26 about 10 miles east of Casper.

The commission also approved two requests by the Amoco Reuse Agreement Joint Powers Board for two major subdivisions in the Salt Creek Heights Business Center.

The ARAJPB was joined in its first request by Holt Properties for a 53.97-acre subdivision . One block of the subdivision will have seven lots and two tracts on 33.53 acres, and the other block will consists of 19.44 acres in a Planned Unit Development.

This subdivision will have its access from the Salt Creek Parkway and Opportunity Boulevard.

The ARAJPB also received approval of a plat at the business center consisting of 37.83 acres divided into five lots on a parcel in a Planned Unit Development. This subdivision is accessed from Opportunity Boulevard.

The Salt Creek Heights Business Center is located on the site of a former Amoco (now BP) tank farm north of the North Platte River.

In other business, the commission approved a resolution to submit a federal mineral royalty capital construction account grant application for $610,800 to the State Loan and Investment Board to replace the aging Alcova Bridge. The SLIB is composed of the top five statewide elected officials.

On June 3, the county restricted the load limit on the 60-year-old bridge to three tons after a State Bridge Engineer report cited the bridge’s deteriorating condition. The county then closed Black Beach and Cottonwood Beach campgrounds on June 15 because the only land access to those beaches and campgrounds is the bridge. The bridge was reopened with load weight restrictions a couple weeks later.

The commission adopted an agreement to support the West Belt Loop Land Use Connectivity and Access management plan that was approved by the Casper Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

It also approved method for service districts, such as the Wardwell Water and Sewer District, to become associate members in the Regional Geographic Information Service.

The commission also approved two grant agreements nearly $300,000 for vehicles for the Natrona County Sheriff's Office, and an agreement to transfer the authority to lease on county land on Casper Mountain used by Townsquare Media for a radio tower to Vertical Bridge Towers LLC.

It also signed an agreement between the county and Weston County for juvenile detention services.