Setting rules

The Crook County Commissioners have set a date in September for a public hearing regarding proposed new rules for large acre subdivisions.

The hearing will take place on September 6 at 2 p.m., during the commissioners’ regularly scheduled monthly meetings. It will be held in the commissioners’ room within the courthouse and will be an opportunity for oral and written comments on the regulations to be heard.

The purpose of the proposed rules, which apply to subdivisions that include parcels between 35 and 140 acres in size, is to establish “standards and procedures for the protection of the common interests of the general public, the landowner and the applicant.”

The rules are also intended to protect the character and value of county lands and minimize conflicts among uses of the land; to provide for safe and adequate transportation systems, utilities and public facilities; to ensure adequate and accurate records; to encourage innovative land planning and urban design techniques; to provide for proper drainage, water and sewer; to give potential landowners alternative choices in the land sites they choose; and to comply with state and county regulations.

The commission hopes that the new regulations will solve ongoing concerns over lack of oversight on new development within the county. Until now, the county’s rules have only been applicable to developments under 35 acres in size.

The Crook County Land Use Planning Commission hosted its own public hearing in June, with a number of members of the community present to discuss the specifics.

Some of the topics covered during that topic were road width and access, impacts to water sources and drainages, easements for overhead electrical power, private easement widths, impacts to wildlife and migration routes and the question of whether the regulations will impact developments in which work has already started.

The proposed regulations can be viewed on the county website or requested through the Crook County Planning Office. Written comments can be submitted to the Crook County Clerk’s Office at PO Box 37, Sundance, WY 82729.