February 5, 2024 |
Photo – Land Use Plan logo – Courtesy carboncountywy.gov
Carbon County officials are asking for more public input on the Land Use Plan update.
The Land Use Plan is the basis for all planning and development in Carbon County. The plan was last updated in 2012. A new Land Use Plan is needed to ensure the county continues to grow in a responsible way.
County Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones said Carbon County is divided into different zones with specific uses.
The Carbon County Land Use Plan defines the preferred method of future land use and is designed to support growth that is done with an appreciation of local values. Chairwoman Jones said the current 12-year-old Land Use Plan must be modernized to reflect how the county has changed since 2012.
Last year, the county hired Cheyenne-based environmental services firm, Y2 Consultants, to perform the Land Use Plan update. Y2 Consultants has created an online survey to allow the public to comment on how they want the county to develop. Chairwoman Jones said the Land Use Plan update may not be exciting, but it is important for the public to participate in the process.
The survey was originally scheduled to conclude on January 5th. However, during the January 17th Land Use Plan Steering Committee meeting, it was decided to push the deadline back another month. Chairwoman Jones said more public input is needed. The commission chairwoman encouraged every resident of Carbon County to take the survey.
Chairwoman Jones said the Land Use Plan is essential to helping the county grow while retaining the things that residents enjoy, such as open spaces and private property.
The commission chairwoman pointed to the 2022 denial of a hydrogen production plant outside of Elk Mountain as proof that the Land Use Plan is important.
Despite a large public outreach program, Chairwoman Jones said not enough people have taken the survey. The commission chairwoman said the more public input received during the survey period, the better the updated Land Use Plan will be.
Residents are asked to take the survey no later than February 16th. A link to the Land Use Plan update survey will be included with this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
Paper copies of the survey are available at the County Clerk’s Office, located at 215 West Buffalo Street, Suite 217, in Rawlins.
Carbon County Land Use Plan update survey: www.bit.ly/cclup
