County Planning And Zoning Commission Approves Preliminary Plat For Salt Creek Industrial Park

The Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission approved the preliminary plat for the 42-acre Salt Creek Industrial Park at its monthly meeting Monday.

Unlike the rancorous debate this summer over rezoning the area to Light Industrial, the proposal from Rocking K Development LLC and its manager Keith Tyler was met with no opposition and only a question.

The proposed subdivision near Bar Nunn will consist of nine lots ranging in size from 2.5 acres to 7 acres, with access from Salt Creek Highway on the east, according to the county's development department.

County Development Director Jason Gutierrez said the preliminary plat met the requirements of the county's development plan and zoning resolution, water and sewer infrastructure, topographical concerns such as the construction of an underground storm sewer system to handle runoff, emergency services and transportation, and consistency with surrounding development.

The only person who spoke during the public hearing in opposition to the proposal was neighbor Vernon Boyce, who said he wasn't opposed as much as he had a question about the subdivision's handling of storm water runoff because he was thinking about selling that land.

The calm and short meeting contrasted sharply with the heated public hearings in June and July over the same land.

The Natrona County Commission, which makes the final approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendations, denied the zone change from Urban Mixed Residential to Light Industrial in June, then reversed that decision in July after it received "new evidence" about that proposal. Opponents disputed the legality of the county commission's ability to immediately rehear the matter.

With that matter done, Tyler and his company could proceed with requesting approval of the preliminary plat.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Harold Wright said that process now happens in two stages, which is more efficient than doing it once.

Some developers, not Tyler, have come with proposals in which the paperwork is incomplete, Wright said. "This kind of stymies that process."

The preliminary plat needs approval by the Natrona County Commission, Wright said.

If the Natrona County Commission approves it, he said Tyler will later return to the Planning and Zoning Commission with the proposal for the final plat.

"So now we get to look at it twice instead of once," Wright said.