County Commissioners to Vote on Salvage Yard Permit

The Natrona County Commission is scheduled to vote Tuesday whether to grant an auto salvage permit to Dana Jones for his property 28 miles west of Casper on U.S. Highway 20-26.

Jones recently concluded, and mostly won, a long property rights fight with the county over his large collections of old cars and trucks. The county had argued he was violating zoning ordinances, but he countered that a state law allowed him to keep the vehicles as antiques.

On March 17, the county's planning and zoning commission voted 2-1 to grant Jones' request for the conditional use permit on 18 acres near Natrona. Jones must erect a six-foot-tall fence around the vehicles before he can begin operations, according to the commission's agenda at natronacounty-wy.gov.

He declined to comment on Tuesday's public hearing at the request of his attorney Harry Bondi, Jones said.

However, some nearby property owners have objected to the proposed project because it would disrupt the scenery and would not fit this rural part of the county..

"There is no industrial support or infrastructure for a legitimate auto recycle center in this rural area," Charles Putnam wrote in a letter to the Natrona County Planning and Zoning Department.

Commissioners will hold their meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the old courthouse. Besides Jones' request, commissioners will hold public hearings about a liquor license transfer for Sloane's General Store near Alcova, and Enerflex Energy Systems Inc's request to create a preliminary plat for a 27.4-acre major subdivision north of Casper.

They also will vote whether to raise salaries for the county's clerk, treasurer, assessor coroner and clerk of district court o $90,000, and the sheriff to $100,000 per year.