Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, welcome to today's June 25th Planning Commission. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. May we have the roll taken, please?

Good afternoon, Chairman Coy and Commission members. Commissioner Stottle?

Here.

Commissioner Tafoya? Commissioner Watkins?

Here.

Commissioner Casey?

Present.

Chairman Coy?

Here. May we have the first item, please?

Agenda item number one is the consideration of the minutes of the proceedings for May 14, 2026.

Look to see a motion for that. Motion to approve. Been moved. Is there a second? Second. Moved and second. Any discussion? May we have the vote taken, please?

Commissioner Stottle?

Yes.

Commissioner Watkins?

Yes.

Commissioner Casey?

Aye.

Chairman Coy?

Yes. May we have the second item, please?

Agenda item number two is the public hearing on a Class B conditional use permit for the Dope Slimes manufacturing expansion located in North Star North, Tract 4, Laramie County, Wyoming.

Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning and Development presenting on behalf of the project planner Sonny M. Portio. Greg Whitaker on behalf of Dope Slimes LLC has submitted a class B conditional use application for the Dope Slimes Manufacturing Expansion Project. The project will consist of the new construction of two new warehouse facilities to be completed in two phases. Phase one will include a 20 to 25,000 square foot warehouse, and phase two will include an additional 20 to 25,000 square foot warehouse. The facility will be used strictly for manufacturing and distribution purposes with no retail sales or customer traffic on site. If approved, a site plan application will be required. The subject property is in the land use zone district. The parcel consists of five acres of vacant residential rural land. The surrounding area is residential and agricultural land. Permanent Laramie County land use regulations or statutory provisions include section 23102, subsection D, romanette two, governing the class use, conditional use type B permitting process. Section 24104 governing the land use zone district and Section 13100 governing public notice. And with that, I do think we had the applicant who was going to attend today to answer any questions. Yes, and he will be here to answer any questions you may have related to the project.

Any questions for staff so far? If you want to come up as the applicant and be able to just describe your project. State your name and address into the microphone, please.

Yes. My name is Greg Whitaker. I own the property we're talking about, as they stated. And the reason why I'm here, the primary reason is because of these data centers. It's driven the, it's messed up the market for commercial real estate, at least for on the buying side. And it's, well, let's back up. I'll tell you first of all a little bit about the business and why we need to do what we're proposing to do. Is back in 2017, my son Mark, who's now 23 years old at the time, he's 14, started that business on my kitchen table. And And then it grew and we run it out of our house for as long as we could and scrambled to get out of there. I have an outbuilding on my property that we moved into and I built a couple other buildings that are still in the process of being finished that we stored stuff in until we could figure out a different place to go. We, at the time we left about three and a half years ago, And we didn't even know if that business was going to survive at the time. So we didn't know where it was going to grow. We knew nothing. We just were running with the chance to keep it going. When we left my place, we had about 45 employees. They were doing everything by hand, all the packing, the work they were doing. We moved to 1938 Wyatt, which we rented. space for three years. There was a little over three years. Because of the change in the market because of the data centers, it's a long story, but we lost our lease on that property. At the time, we weren't really in a big hurry to build because the lease was reasonably priced and it would almost cost more to build than to stay there. Well, because we lost it, we had to get out of there June 1st, and we fortunately found a place to go for a couple years to keep going while we're getting something built. We've looked for lots to build, the typical lots for like $750,000 to $1 million for five acres, which is almost pretty much cost prohibitive. That's if you can even find one right now because of the data centers. When we moved, we kept running with the business. We got a lot of things pretty much as automated as we possibly can get. And we've increased our production probably by about ten times from what it was when it was in my place. But we do it on about half the employees. Right now we employ around 25 people, monthly payrolls around $150,000 to $200,000 a month. We employ these folks here in Laramie County. They're making a living out of this business as well. My sons and I are owners of the company. Mark started it, so he's the biggest share owner. But anyway, we... We're in a growth where the business is looking good. We think we're going to be fine as long as we get a place to operate. And we got just only a few years to operate where we are. So because out of necessity, out of survival, we decided we're going to want to build on my property. And I, as a neighbor living out there, I was, you know, there's a lot of times I thought, man, I think I'd rather, if we're going to, you know, first of all, I run cattle out there. And I'm like everybody probably in this room, or not everybody, but I appreciate seeing a field and, you know, and the space around me just like probably everybody else does. But on the east of me, instead of seeing an alfalfa field now, that development has like 20 houses out there. So, you know, I figured I didn't have the right to stop them from putting in 20 houses because they own the land. I figured, you know, I'm hoping people won't stop me from doing what I got to do to survive because it's a matter of us surviving in our business and keeping those people employed. And so it's out of necessity that we're proposing to do this. I want it very nice. I have no intentions on having a junkie ugly building out there. I want it aesthetically extremely nice. I want trees all around it. The water I'm going to, we're going to, most, the vast majority of the water we'll need will go to grow trees. Our manufacturing doesn't require hardly any water. I plan on having, when I plant trees, it's not going to be just little seedlings. I'm going to buy, pay the money to get, you know, bigger ones so within a few years they'll be high enough so people stand to see and it should be nicer to see a field probably, but at least I'll see trees. So it's not going to be like, I don't want an eyesore out there. I live out there too. And we just are proposing to that I get to use my land the way I need to use it for my survival and my family's survival and the survival of our employees. But in the same token, I'm still very much open to other places to build. I mean, if anybody, I mean, that's not the purpose of this meeting, but if anybody knows of people that have land they'd sell at a reasonable price or lots, I'm very, very open to considering somewhere else. even at this point. But I figure if I can't find anything at a reasonable price, I'll have no choice, assuming, you know, you guys let me have the right to do what I need to on my own land. So, you know, I've seen chatter about that I've had some control burns out there, and I don't see what that has anything to do with the question at hand whether I should be able to build on my land or not. But maybe some of you differ. I mean, I followed the law. on those control burns. I do maybe one a year. I want to get to where I don't have any more once I get rid of all the stuff that we've got to get rid of.

I think we'll stay right on the topic at hand.

Hopefully we don't have to go into that, but all the neighbors have been bringing that up. I've had a lot of... I had to clean up the messes from the past when I bought that land in 2012. There was railroad cars. I don't know if any of you remember those. But they were ugly, big eyesore. I invested a lot of money to get rid of those, get those out of there. So my intention is to keep it as clean and nice as I possibly can. Right now we're in construction right now at my place. And so it's a work in progress. But ultimately, my goal is to have that property as nice and neat as you can. I'd like to have trees all the way around it. I haven't decided for sure what I'll do with the rest of it. The other nine or eight more lots I have, but it's kind of a separate subject. But to start with, this is what I'm respectfully proposing that you folks allow me to build on my land. Is there any questions?

No, we'll have questions from the board. Sure.

The rest will be a public hearing after that.

Okay. Any questions from the board at this point? No. None, thank you. Okay. If we could have the remainder of the staff report, please.

Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning and Development. The Laramie County Comprehensive Plan identifies the area as rural ag interface, which anticipates these areas to primarily be used for rural residential uses. Limited services, commercial and retail uses are anticipated at major intersections. For example, a gas station, repair shops, lodging and restaurants may be appropriate along the highways and or interstate. Exchange and adequate buffering from adjacent residential uses is provided. The applicant intends to submit a landscaping plan during the site plan process, which will address buffering for area residents. Agency review comments have been addressed for this process. Public notice was provided and public comments have been attached to this report and provided to you today for review. A conditional use is given to a land use meant to be beneficial to the permitted uses or those similar within a zone district with conditions where it requires conditions to mitigate impacts it may have on the surrounding area. Land use or land use proposals similar in nature intensity and community impact which require a conditional use permit has probable impacts and is required to meet all LCLUR conditions. It was determined that a class B conditional use permit would be required and upon approval a simple site plan. Class B conditional uses are those meant to be beneficial to an area and are permissible in their zone district. Section 23102 subsection A of the Laramie County land use regulations requires that the Laramie County Planning Commission find that the proposed use is permitted and is in conformance with all applicable development standards. Staff finds that the application is in conformance with the plans and policies of Laramie County subject to your discretionary decision. Based upon evidence provided, staff finds that A, this application meets the criteria for the class B conditional use permit pursuant to section 23102 of the 2025 LCLUR. And B, this application is in conformance with section 24104 of the 2025 LCLUR governing the land use zone district. And that the planning commission may approve the class B conditional use permit for the dope slime manufacturing expansion with one condition, excuse me. A site plan shall be submitted for approval prior to beginning any operation covered under the class B conditional use permit. And with that, I stand for any questions from the body.

There is one more thing I forgot to mention. Yeah, if you want to approach the mic, just state your name and address again, please.

There's a couple points I forgot to mention and that was people are concerned, rightfully so, about pollutants and so on of our raw materials and stuff. The primary ingredient we use in our product is Elmer's glue or school glue and it's not toxic. And it's not going to be put in the septic systems or anything like that. We never dump any. We use very minimal water in that. So there's no environmental impact negative of any sort that we would impose. So I wanted to bring that point clear. Thank you.

Thank you. Any questions for staff? All right, hearing none, this is a public hearing for this item. If there's anyone in the audience who would like to address the commission on this proposal, we invite you to come forward and address the commission. We ask that you speak into the microphone, state your name and address. We also ask that you keep your comments to three minutes or less so that we have an opportunity to hear everyone. If you are watching virtually and would like to make comments during the public hearing portion of this meeting, please comment online. Before we get to all of you, IT, is there anyone online for public comment?

There's nobody online at this time.

We will close the online portion of it and open it up to the floor. If you want to approach and state your name and address, please. Understand.

I'm Tom Taylor. I live on 1811 Road 124. I'm here today to ask you to deny the current application for the proposed Dope Slime facility in Royal Cheyenne. I'm a business owner. I'm a homeowner within 1,000 feet of this project on the other side of the road. I publish a podcast about business entrepreneur, and although this is a great story, Greg, those boys have done incredible stuff. We have some issues that we need to talk about. First, I'd like to thank you guys for volunteering to be on this board. I know you're not always popular. You're doing a job that most people don't want or won't do. I also would like to tell you about the people who met for the last several months and did research. None of them are planning experts, Justin, and they did the work. There are some experts.

Have you moved that microphone? There you go. Thank you.

You don't need it. But they've made themselves experts on the process, Justin. So with that, if you see a red shirt, it's someone who's been in a meeting, who is small grouped, who is really taking this seriously and trying to do the best for what's with our community. With that, I will also tell you that I am taken back by some of the feedback we've gotten from the planning folks, where they said it's just glue. It's not hazardous. Well, dip yourself in some glue. I didn't know they were experts in this kind of stuff. And that's the crux of this whole situation. There are no impacts. There's impacts in everything. And with that, the proposal is called light industrial operation. Under the Laramie County land use regulation, light industrial zoning is strictly reserved for low intensity, low impact uses designed to be good neighbor friendly businesses. To keep that status, an operation must be completely eliminate or strictly control external nuisances like dust, odor, noise. The proposal completely fails that standard as it is a high impact, heavy industrial chemical operation that will produce 83,000 units per month that are going to distributors or retail outlets. That's a lot. Think of 83,000 quarts of ice cream. How many trucks does it take to move that? According to the company's own published figures from Capital City News, a report dated November 3, 2022, this facility will bring a workforce of 50 people. And I understand they may have scaled it down, but all that is business stuff. They produce over 1 million units annually. They're a $12 million operation. As of that report, I don't know what it is today. They are dropping a football-sized field chemical manufacturing plant next to houses. I mean, literally within 300 or 400 feet of houses. And they're bringing this operation, and I understand Greg's point that, boy, it's tough to find the place. But they're bringing this operation into rural Cheyenne.

So let's get to it.

The definition of heavy industrial, not light industrial. That's what this is. This is a high-impact operation, and good for them. It's not working. permitting evasion, because this is a large scale high intensity project, the applicant's request for a lower tier B allows them to move forward with the project as they work through the process. And in a high, a C, which we're going to talk about, they have to work the process and then come back to you guys and have you guys go, hey, that makes sense for us. And you've done all the things. And it looks like we can trust you to be compliant and do all these other things. And you've had DEQ and OSHA, those kind of things. A massive 45,000 square foot footprint completely disqualifies a project from type B. That's not neighborhood friendly. By pushing for type B permit, the applicant is attempting to escape the rigorous administrative requirements scrutiny, environmental protection reviews, industrial infrastructure that should be covered by type C. The Board should not allow heavy chemical manufacturing to bypass the proper regulatory channels. Infrastructure and traffic risks. The count, we read all the reports and things like that. The county's staff planning assessment basically said, well, this project will have minimal impact. Although the Laramie County Sheriff's Department said this is a serious concern. Who's the expert here? And they took something that one of their agents who weighed in on the report, and then they called it minimal after they said, it's serious, it's in your own report, Justin. So you've got semi-trucks, you've got commercial vehicles. Yes, sir, thank you. I'll move fast. All these things are going to cause not problems, but they cause wear and tear. Conclusion we finally must address the the applicants documented Operational tracker the same November 3 capital city article featured clear photographic evidence that they were making slime with no personal protective gear And we're going to have other people talk to this that have done the research and understand the science. I am not Dr. Fauci. I don't understand the science. The OSHA standards aren't being met. There's personal protective gear. They're putting their employees at risk. And there's dust to us in the neighborhood. Again, other people will talk smarter about this than I know. What we are basically saying, this is type C. It's not type B. We're asking you guys to press the pause button, make them go back through the process, and either meet your expectations for type C or find another place to run this business. And it is a great business. It just doesn't belong in rural Cheyenne. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll just say one thing before you speak. Just as you all know, we've been doing this for a while. And one of the things that's very helpful for all of you that are wanting to speak is try to keep to that three minutes if possible. And then try not to be redundant. Try not to restate the same comments over and over. We're hearing all of your comments. We're also reading all the letters and emails that were sent in and also reading the staff reports. So we have a lot of that information also already. So thank you for that. It just helps the process be efficient. With that, please.

With that said, I guess my notes and such is going to be cut short, so I might have to skip around a little bit, because a lot has been said, and a lot was initially presented on the regulations. So my area was on reading regulations. So my name is Jeannie VanRissekem, and I live at 2442 Peterson Drive for the last 20 years. I have the same significant concerns as my neighbors regarding Dope Slimes, a high-impact, heavy industrial operation who is requesting to expand their current operations into another area of our quiet, rural neighborhood. I have tracked the progress of this application online, reading all the documents related to this project, including letters and photos from the neighbors. I am curious why the neighbors' comments and photos have been taken down from the county's website. I hope you all have access to this information, which you had just stated. I would like to focus my comments on the pertinent 2025 land use regulations. And I hope you have with you the current copy of the project narrative so you can make notes on discrepancies between the applicant's view and our neighborhood views. So first of all is on land use zoning district, which was described. And I can just highlight the part that concerns me. It's quiet character, very low. Sometimes isolated development takes careful management when change begins to show on the open plains. Next page on conditional uses, Class B. There's two other references which I'll get to, 23102 and 3110. So in this section, there's a diagram with Class B with allowed uses. And those include animal clinics, assisted living. I'm not going to go through all of them. But the one that we were told that this project is being Under this category would be all other uses which provide commercial, retail, or service. And per the applicant's own project overview, there is no retail sales. Facility will be used strictly for manufacturing distribution purposes with no retail sales or customer traffic on site. So that's my first point. And then next down the line is minimum lot size of 5.25 acres. And according to the site plan drawing, it says five. There also on their project narrative, it says approximately five acres. So minimum requirement is not met. And then on to 23102, conditional uses purpose. The first part, I'm not sure which one we're falling under, but it seems to be the or. It requires conditions to mitigate impacts it may have on surrounding area to uphold public health, safety, and general welfare.

And those three are important.

at dispute as you'll hear from all of our neighbors and every listed land use proposal similar in nature intensity and community impact which requires a conditional use permit has probable impacts and is required to meet all conditions contained within these regulations so i would like to address probable impacts and on the project narrative i believe the applicant is minimizing the impact of this project. He's stating an impact mitigation traffic is expected to be minimal. All manufacturing activities occur indoors, resulting in no significant noise, odor, or dust impacts, visual impacts, which he addressed. Planting trees is the only mitigating factor that he has presented, which is not going to be very helpful with all the other concerns. And then at the time of pre-application meeting, the planning director shall determine which conditional use permit will be required for those proposals similar in nature, intensity, and community impacts as those listed within the zoning district. Again, conditions. Conditions has been used throughout this document multiple times. requires conditions to mitigate impacts, required to meet all conditions contained within these regulations. Any condition placed by the decision-making entity shall be met. Laramie County may add and enforce conditions. I would like to know what these conditions are and where I find them. So in my search, all I could come up with, standards for specific commercial uses. And these standards, they have them for other Class B animal clinics, assisted living facilities. There is nothing in the index. I looked all through that. There's nothing for manufacturing or distribution or retail. Okay. So standards. And then... So back to the last sentence, currently there are no high impact heavy industrial operations listed or established in the land use zoning district. That's related to the last sentence of the previous paragraph. A lot, like I said, a lot of this was already read earlier, so I'm trying to find what's not redundant. So standards, there's also a section and a little box under, sorry, Class B planning commission decisions with conditions under B conditional use instruction table. There's a box LU, any use requiring commercial site plan that does not meet the criteria of home occupation, bed and breakfast, or Class C conditional use. I'm assuming can be considered. Is this description intentionally so vague that any type of business can be squeezed into a class B category? And then I think I'm going to skip to the end because I'm getting close. Again, there's language again about under Section 3, page 30. It's repeated again about public health, safety, and general welfare that Laramie County may add and enforce related to those types of things, which this is what we're here to talk about, neighborhood health and safety. So for concluding, I'd say from his project narrative, his conclusion says the proposed project represents a low-impact, well-planned development that aligns with Laramie County's goals for responsible growth. The design, operational limits, and mitigating measures ensure compatibility with surrounding properties and compliance with county regulations. And I would disagree with every single one of those points. And finally, the findings for denials on conditional uses. To deny a conditional use permit, the governing body must find that there are no reasonable way to place conditions on the proposal such that the impact to surrounding properties may be significantly mitigated. And I believe there are too many impacts that will impact not just our property, our resale value on our property, if we're even able to sell, being across from an industrial park, if he decides to build other on the rest of his land. not just on the properties, but the human beings and the families that live on those properties.

Thank you. Thank you. Next, please.

Good afternoon. My name is Kelly Rounds. at 2420 Peterson Drive. I'm an engineer here in Laramie County for the past 25 years. I lived here for about 15 years. And my main concern is that this zoning change would cause major property value decrease. I know when I moved there, I wouldn't have bought this if it was zoned industrial right there. And it's a neighborhood really where there's approximately 80 residences within a half mile of this site. And so by my calculations, which I can provide if you want, I would expect a property value decrease of about $10 million for approving this. So I hope that you consider that and deny the application. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please. Yeah, perfect. Thank you.

Good there?

Yes. Perfect.

Good afternoon. My name's Michelle Albert. My husband and I own and live at the two properties immediately south of the current Dope Slimes operation that I believe they've moved back into based on the scuttlebutt that's been going on since June. We moved to our home in 2014 and have bred and raised purebred Arabian national champion cutting sport and cowhorses ever since there. By way of background, I hold a BS in biochemistry from the illustrious UW over the hill, and I've spent five plus years in biomedical research before earning my DVM from the slightly less illustrious CSU down the road. I had to get in the good old border war jab anytime I can. I practice veterinary medicine in the city of Cheyenne for over 25 years since. Despite that extensive science background, I knew very little about slime until I did a deep dive when we became aware of the proposed Dope Slimes expansion. I'm here today to share my personal and professional concerns regarding the Dope Slime expansion. I have references for all my data and can provide them upon request if you would like them. While slime is marketed as a benign children's toy, its chemistry tells a really different story when you dig into it. Slime is made by mixing polyvinyl alcohol, basically glue, the Elmer's glue that was referenced earlier, with, this is the part that matters, and activator. Most commonly, that activator is borax, fondly known as sodium tetraborate decahydrate. Say that fast three times. I don't want to. The tetra part of that means that it has, each molecule basically contains four boron While boron is a naturally occurring micronutrient, too much of it is highly toxic and potentially deadly. In animals, mild exposure causes vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling. Severe exposure causes testicular degeneration, kidney failure, seizures, and death. The globally harmonized system, GHS, limits borax or lists borax as a category H360 health hazard, meaning that it has documented threat to fertility and pregnancy. In fact, the EU countries have banned borax from private households, school labs, and regulating slime residue as toxic waste. According to Dope Slime's own website, they do use borax in their slime products, and they state in bold capital letters, do not eat slime. The safety data sheet, SDS, for those of us that are older, MSDSs for borax, specifically states, do not allow product to reach sewage systems or open water, and it is the responsibility of the waste generator, in this case Dope Slime's, to properly characterize all waste materials according to applicable regulatory entities per the US Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 262-11. Now, it was referenced that nothing has been put into the sewage system. But that would mean that all of the borax, anything that was mixed, anything that was excess would have to be taken away in toxic waste material containers. And that I would want to actually have that documented that that is actually occurring. Dove Slime's expansion narrative states that wastewater will be handled by a commercial septic system. However, the US EPA explicitly states that septic systems, even commercial septic systems, are designed solely for sanitary waste. Furthermore, per Title 40 CFR 144.3, a septic system must be regulated and permitted as a Class V underground injection control well if it receives any amount of industrial or commercial wastewater. And I would argue in this point that unless it is absolutely documented that none of this is reaching the septic system, that dope slime should have a Class V underground injection control well per EPA regulations. Given that Dope Slime has manufactured at the 1825 Road 124 address for years, minus the last few, they should have already been operating under a Class 5 permit, and they have not. This proposed project is neither low impact nor compatible with a rural residential neighborhood. It is a high impact, heavy industrial chemical operation, and as such, it does not qualify for a Class B conditional use permit. This chemical manufacturing operation belongs in Industrial Business Park. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Leland Sampson. I live at 2422 Peterson Drive, which if you'll turn around and look on what would be my right-hand side, not the first lines, but the second across the street. So I'm going to stare at this. Now, I'd like to talk to what today brought. I've heard that he runs cattle on his land. Three? Yes. More than that? Four, two years ago? Three, three years ago?

Let's keep to the topic, though, not a personal tax.

My point is, I've also heard today how we're going to take care of things and clean things up, make sure it's all good. These are pictures from June 10th. These are pictures from this morning. These are pictures of the burn pile from this morning. I have to look at this. That is right across the street. It is 100 feet from the end of my driveway to the beginning of the road. We're talking 300 feet. I have sat and listened. I live in my garage. I have a TV. I have a recliner. I have a table. I have chairs. I smoke cigarettes. I don't do it in the house. I like to have a few drinks. I do those in the garage. I work on my stuff. I'm out there all the time, eight, nine months a year. I don't want to look at this. And I certainly, I didn't buy this property 10, 12 years ago. to have this built there so I could lose money on this. I just, I have problems with this. And I'm bringing this because I honestly believe what you're hearing, you're not trying to clean anything up, sir.

Again, we'll focus everything up here. Thank you. I'll leave this here for you. Yeah, we have those pictures. Thank you.

This is fresh.

Yep. Right. Step to the microphone if you're going to speak. Thank you.

Good evening members of the Laramie County Planning Commission. My name is Nate Montgomery and I live directly adjacent to the property under review at 1852 Road 124. And I'm here today to respectfully oppose the proposed conditional use permit for the industrial slime manufacturing facility. When my family purchased our home in 2020, we understood this area to be a rural residential LU zone neighborhood. Shortly after moving in, we became aware of industrial activities occurring on the neighboring residential property. This was a time period where the company was performing industrial operations from a warehouse without proper zoning in place and employed roughly 50 workers. At the height of operations, dozens of employee vehicles entered and exited the property each day. Commercial trucks regularly traveled from the site daily, and there was constant noise from forklift backup alarms and nighttime shift changes resulted in vehicle headlights shining directly into my home. Many of my neighbors can attest that many of the semi-truck drivers have entered their driveways only to soon realize they were in the wrong location and backed the 53-foot tractor trailers back out onto the highway. These are all characteristics of an industrial business, not residential land use. Fortunately, those impacts were mitigated when the company relocated its manufacturing operations to an industrial facility in an industrial zone business park south of town. It was my understanding that those activities had finally moved to a location specifically designed and intended for that purpose. I was therefore disappointed to learn that a Class B conditional use permit is now being sought to return those operations to this residential area. I also have great concern with awarding Dove Slimes with a conditional use permit due to previous non-compliant actions by the company. These include complete disregard for regulations set forth by the Laramie County Public Health, Laramie County Fire Authority, and the Laramie County Planning Department. One example of this contained in a memo written by Jennifer Escobedo of the Laramie County Public Health outlining a conversation with the company regarding a permit for the installation of a residential septic system that's intended use was for commercial disposal. The concern extends beyond the single application. Approval of this permit would establish a precedent that industrial manufacturing activities are appropriate within a residential neighborhood. If a large-scale manufacturing operation can be approved here, it becomes difficult to explain why other businesses could not seek similar treatment. My family's drywall company, for example, employs a similar number of people, receives daily deliveries, operates warehouse facilities, and does not rely on retail consumer traffic. If this permit is approved, what basis would exist to deny a similar commercial warehouse operation behind my home? or elsewhere within the neighbourhood. Zoning regulations exist to provide predictability, protect property owners and ensure incompatible land uses are separated appropriately. Industrial manufacturing facilities belong in industrial zoned areas, where the infrastructure, roadways and neighbouring properties are designed to accommodate those impacts. I respectfully ask the Commission to consider the long-term implications of this decision, not only for the surrounding property owners today, but for future land use decisions throughout Laramie County. For those reasons, I urge you to deny this conditional use permit. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good afternoon. I'm Mike Holtz. My wife, Lori, and I live at 2430 Peterson Drive. Sorry, some of this has been covered, but it's important to us. So I'm here today to respectfully ask the Planning Commission to deny this proposal and require that this type of operation be in an appropriate industrial park rather than an established rural residential area. My concern is that this project appears to involve the high impact heavy industrial chemicals you've heard of. A use like this should be placed where chemicals, water usage, septic, waste water, traffic, fire risk, storm water runoff, and environmental controls can be properly monitored and managed. This is not just a paperwork issue to us. It directly affects our families who live in this neighborhood. My family moved there for peace and quiet. in a safe space to live, a high scale, high impact, heavy industrial chemical activity is not consistent with that rural residential character. Stewardship issues, we have lots of stewardship issues. You heard about some a few minutes ago. You've got pictures, we put some more in yesterday, hopefully you saw them. The burn piles across the street, that's not good neighbors. You guys have heard this, so I don't want to be honest, but pallets, plastic fencing, treated timbers, that's not good, neighbors. That's toxic. That's going right into our well systems. I don't know about you guys, but my family, clean water is important to me and my family. We've been out there for 20-some years. All this is entering the soil. The Whitaker Stewardships score to our nearby residences in Laramie County and the environment is zero. They have no stewardship score with us. We have seen nothing. So this is gonna be worse if we have an industrial site out there. Our wells are another issue. Who will monitor the water quality in our wells? Who will ensure that chemicals or wastewater don't enter the ground? and affect our drinking water, our septic systems, waste water, property values you've already heard. I believe our homes could immediately depreciate by approximately $100,000 to $200,000. If this happens, who's going to compensate my family and I for that loss? This project would affect far more than our property values. It would also impact noise levels, security, lighting, safety, health, and the overall quality of life for our surrounding families, homes, and livestock. Large manufacturing operations of this kind belong in industrial parks, away from established homes and rural neighborhoods. For this reason, I respectfully ask the Planning Commission to deny this project. Chemical industries must be properly zoned in industrial parks where they can be monitored, regulated, and managed with the appropriate infrastructure and emergency controls. They do not belong next to existing homes, private wells, family and livestock. Protecting established rural residential neighborhoods should always come before approving these large, high-impact, heavy industrial chemical buildings in the wrong location. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Hello. I'm Robert VanRissingham. I live at 2442 Peterson Drive. I've lived there for the past 20 years. I originally moved to this area because of the excellent water quality. The water tasted great out there. It still does. Hopefully it'll stay that way. I'm a retired environmental compliance professional. I've worked 35 years with experience in certified wastewater and drinking water background. My career included owning and operating a bonded DEQ license industrial disposal and treatment facility. I did that for a number of years before I sold it. I served as a certified 40-hour hazmat responder. I know hazards when I see them. I performed environmental services for many large organizations such as Boeing, major oil producers, Walmart Distribution Center, and the EPA. ensuring hazardous material compliance according to the Uniform Building Codes and International Fire Codes. That compliance was for the Boeing Company. I have treated hundreds of millions of gallons of water through my career. I value the importance of maintaining high standards in our community water supply, and I have never been cited for any violations in all my career. I'm writing you formally to express my grave concerns regarding the operations of Dope Slams. Our neighborhood is deeply concerned about the potential long-term health risk and the risk of chemical leaching into our water supply. Our primary concerns are unregulated wastewater discharge. The current facility appears to discharge untreated chemical waste into a standard residential septic system without a Class V injection well or an engineered system. Environmental contamination. Previous open pit burning of industrial trade waste leaves a visible scar on the property. If you look at the pictures that were submitted yesterday, three or four feet down, you're seeing tremendous stains in that soil. Once that gets into our groundwater, we'll have a major problem. Permitting issues. According to their own narrative today, the Board of Public Utilities Industrial Pretreatment Manager said that the company had not provided any notifications or applied for an industrial discharge permit. They were there for that many years. It's within the city ordinance that if you're working in an industrial business in Cheyenne, you have to apply for that. I'm requiring and asking your office for the following conditions or concerns. Review all building occupancy requirements to ensure compliance with the 2024 fire code. Building permits, it seems like we're just adding on an additional living quarters to a warehouse. We're doing this and doing that. A backwards way to getting into, if you did a full review, At a full site plan for the previous operations, you would see building code requirements and sprinkler system requirements. Require conditional use permits for all businesses on their property. They have a number of businesses. If you're just adding 25 people to this, what are the other businesses adding? Evaluating groundwater contamination from the existing leach fields. That's very important that somebody does that work. to see if we have potential contamination already. Provide well notification requirements to all the residents in a half mile area. If you get into the class five injection, that is a requirement that we should have all been notified of industrial waste going into our groundwater. And conduct an environmental impact statement on these operations. Furthermore, I advocate for the mandatory surety bond to cover an estimated $9,028,000 cost to connect the Peterson Drive area to the Cheyenne water supply should our groundwater become contaminated. This is a standard regulated tool, a regulatory tool to protect community resources. A surety bond provides for a speedy response if we have an environmental emergency such as one of our wells test positive. Finally, the open burning of trade waste. Including pellets cardboard and plastic is strictly prohibited not not it's okay It's strictly prohibited by the Clean Water Act in Wyoming DEQ Clean Water Act the county's oversight regarding these burning practices and previous building permit Oversights has placed the taxpayers at risk. It's a significant environmental liability and We request that the county cover these costs. Many of the residents were performing water tests for their own public safety. We're requesting that the county cover these costs until contamination and remediation has been proven clear. If this permit is approved, we will encounter additional environmental risk to our water supply. You've already got Three major areas on that property, you put a building in another location, that's just a major added risk. And I want to speak to calling the planning board just for a second. Every concern that I've had, the reason why I put down my background is I wouldn't make a declaration that you can't do that. Every time it was reported back to me that that isn't required, that isn't required. It can burn anything except hazardous waste. Completely, the county took on that liability just by saying he's okay to do that. So, you know, if it contaminates my water, I will be coming to the county for reimbursement.

Thank you.

Hi. Excuse me. I'm Gloria Smith and I live at 2434 Peterson Drive. I would like to say how proud I am of these young men for starting a successful business at such a young age and for having the support of their family. But I am not supportive of them moving their business into my neighborhood. We have lived in the neighborhood for over 24 years and have enjoyed the calm atmosphere and beautiful, like you are camping, starry nights. the thought of a large-scale, high-impact, heavy industrial chemical operation across the street with buildings, parking lots, and numerous employees that who knows where they came from is heartbreaking. I'm actually confused on the number of employees who do work at Dope Slimes. Mr. Whitaker stated in the application there would be 25 employees, but in the Cowboy State Daily article dated November 3rd, 2022, they stated they had 50 employees. It seems strange to me how their business is expanding and their employees are decreasing. The correct employee number does matter. By listing an incorrect lower number of employees, it will definitely make an impact on the Wyoming Game and Fish test aerial recommendations, County Road 124 usage report, and a number of other agencies who use that figure to determine their outcome. With the increase of residential traffic we've already experienced from the new housing developments north of us, County Road 124 is disintegrating immensely. There are already two spots heading north, one north of County Road 218 and the other one north of Channel Road that have ruts in them caused by all of this heavy traffic. I calculated with the lower number of 25 employees, Mr. Whitaker, and with them going to work and from work, with the possibility of going to town for lunch and back, and with the dual axles that UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and USPS trucks have, along with semi-truck deliveries, this can total more than... 2,400, excuse me, 2,048 trips to and from town to Dope Slimes on County Road 124 per month. Then when we have the semis turning off of County Road 124 into his property, they would need to go into the opposite lane to make that turn, which could result in an accident from oncoming traffic. Unless if Laramie County or Mr Whitaker plans on putting a turn in lane. This heavy traffic will definitely have an impact on the road. Is Laramie County willing to refurbish this road? My other concern is they grew out of the main house into two pole barns south of the house, moved the business into town. Now they are wanting to come back out here again. This appears to be a pattern of not staying in one place for very long. Once they leave here again, what is going to be put in those buildings? A bank, a coffee shop, a fireworks stand, or a gambling casino, which is very popular now. This is our neighborhood we're talking about, and we don't want this. If you approve this zoning change, there is no stopping Mr. Whitaker from making an industrial park out of his remaining acreage. According to Justin Arnold, he would have to apply for new zoning for each lot. Mr. Arnold made it sound like it would be a big deal, but realistically, once a zoning change has been approved, other zoning changes for property right next to it will be approved with no problem. We feel having a large-scale, high-impact, heavy industrial chemical operation across the street will be a huge decrease in the value of our home. Also, it will increase our annual home taxes. Please let the land continue to be residential like it was intended to be. There are plenty of industrial land for sale in Cheyenne. I would like to ask you to deny the Class B conditional use permit requested by Mr. Whitaker. This is not an industrial park. It is a family residential area with young children playing outside. I am asking you, like a large scale, high impact, heavy industrial chemical operation located, would you like to have a large scale, high impact, heavy industrial chemical operation located across the street from your home? Thank you.

Thank you. Looks like we have a couple more lined up behind you. Please come forward.

Hi, my name is Nancy Reno and I live at 2430 Channel Drive. I would appreciate it if one of you would wave your hat at three minutes, okay? I'm sorry? Let me know when it's three minutes.

Yeah, yeah. I'll throw up a note for you.

Okay. All the information that these people have put together is so important to each one of us in so many different ways. It's very important to me. I'm a cancer survivor. I'm the first woman in three generations in my family to beat cancer. I moved out there because I'm a rural girl. I was raised on a ranch, and I love seeing the antelope and the deer and the coyotes and the foxes and sometimes a bear. But I love seeing that. And this is something that does not belong out there. We need to maintain what we have out there for the families that want to be there, the people that are raising young children. I don't want to have to worry about what is going to go into the water I drink. I just beat this crap. And I don't want to have to look at it again and say, oh, yeah, well, they're going to put more chemicals in the water. And in May 6th, when the fire was set, for two days, the chemical smell was so strong. it wasn't just wood. There was more underneath there. We have to be good neighbors. We have to ride for the brand. And that means standing up for our neighbors and our community and our lifestyle. I just, I appreciate what they're trying to do, but not in our place, not there. Go where it's supposed to be. That's all.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is John Bedwell. I live at 2408 Peterson Drive. I apologize. I'm going to skip around and try not to repeat. I have the same concerns a lot of these other neighbors have. One of the things I was going to talk about was the traffic. There's a lot that goes into that. I come from a truck driving family. Both my grandfathers and my dad drove a truck. That is a lot of wear and tear. That's why states charge them extra taxes for roads. That road is already a narrow road. It meets all the regulations. And by the way, I'm a former certified accident investigator. The roads meet the regulations as far as width, but they have narrow shoulders. There is no place to get off of the road or avoid an accident for trucks. It's ditches on both sides of the road. Turning into and out of is a problem, like they said. And there are blind hills on both sides of that property. Most notably, the closest one is on the south side, which a majority of the trucks would be coming from. They're going to go right by that. And then where do they turn around? There is no place without going into a neighborhood or a private property where they can turn around. And if you look at the satellite view of that photo, my property that's on that corner across from, on the north side of Peterson, has tire tracks in it to this day from people that missed that turn years previously and would turn around in my field. It's been years and those tracks are still there on my property. There's also other concerns that people aren't bringing up. Anyone that lives in that area knows that US 85 and Yellowstone is a pretty dangerous intersection. Now we're going to add more cars and more semi trucks, heavy trucks that are slow, wide turning vehicles to that intersection. It doesn't make sense. It's an unnecessary risk. Other vehicles might be coming from the north. If they don't know the area, they're going to look at it and say, hey, I can hit Ridley Road and jump over. Ridley Road's a dirt road. Those people have no idea what's coming for them if that happens. So that's another issue. And that doesn't even affect the neighbors right there. That's on up the road. But they're going to come through that dirt road through that neighborhood and come down the pavement to try to find this place. Of course, there's the pollution and everything else. And the other thing that I'm concerned with is the infrastructure. You know, what's it going to do to the water? What's it going to do to the power grid? How much power do they use? None of this is known. What stress is it going to put on our first responders, our fires and stuff? And I will disagree with the controlled burn thing. It has been uncontrolled and people can verify it. Just ask them. Numerous people, dozens have saw it. Fires burning overnight with no one watching them. And fire departments have been called. I have called them. All of these risks that are being talked about, Cities and counties have came up with ways to mitigate those risks. Those ways are called industrial parks and business parks. That's where this business belongs, not in a neighborhood where people are trying to enjoy their property that when they purchased it, it was not an industrial area. They moved out there to be quiet. I've lived 80% of my life in a rural area, and I would like to continue to do that. Thank you for your time and hearing me out.

Thank you. Please come forward.

My name is Ashley Hancock. My husband Dan and I live at 2412 Peterson Drive. Today I want to speak to you simply as a mother. We chose this neighborhood because it felt safe. Open skies, quiet roads, room for our kids to grow up the way kids should. Our son Warren is seven years old. His bedroom faces the property we're here to talk about today. few weeks ago the owners of that property burned a pile material that included vinyl fencing tires and asphalt shingles that burned happened a few hundred feet from the window where my little boy sleeps that night the smoke blew directly towards his window the smoke from the materials like that is not ordinary smoke it carries chemicals that no parent would ever choose to let drift into their child's bedroom that is the part i can't move past not the Not just that it happened, but it was left unattended in dry country near homes with children in them, and that fire was left burning without anyone watching it. It wasn't a small fire. It was hundreds of pallets from a business that was set up without any of the proper permits. I'm not here to argue about square footage or traffic counts. I'm here because a permit like this is really a question of trust. You are being asked to trust that an operation will run carefully, that the rules will be followed, that our families will be looked after. Everything we have actually seen on that land points the other way. That business that was already there was built and run without the proper approvals. The burning, the piles of debris, the way it all was handled, none of it tells us we can trust what comes next. When something like this is close to our homes, affects the air our children breathe and the water our wells draw from, trust us is not enough. It has to be earned and it hasn't been. So I'm asking you as a mother and on behalf of my husband and our neighbors to recommend denial. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Craig Smith at 2434 Peterson Drive. And on behalf of Ashley's husband, Dan, I'm reading part of his letter to you guys. A Class B conditional use permit is not a building permit. It is a discussionary grant of authority that depends on the county's confidence in the applicant operate and use the property as represented and will comply with whatever conditions are imposed. The confidence has to be earned through demonstration and conduct not promised in an application narrative. The applicant has demonstrated the opposite. The record for before this commission includes the operation expansion that occurred without prior conditional use approval, the open burn of prohibited materials within the regulated buffer, the deliberate decision to leave an active burn unattended near a neighbor's home and photographic evidence of the act and ongoing burn site stocked with fresh fuel, which was a lot, must have been 120 pallets, establishes a pattern of operating outside the rules and only seeking approval for the fact, after the fact, granting the conditional use permit on this record signals to the future applicants of unincorporated Laramie County that compliance is optional and that the county will retroactively bless what it did not pre-approve. Beyond the trust question, the applicant fails on the merits across the standard conditional use permit evaluation criteria. Compatible with the surrounding land use, The parcels sit in a residential and agricultural area. A 50,000 square foot phased industrial hardware with associated truck traffic, lighting, and operational footprint is not compatible with the existing rural resident character of the neighborhood. And now my final words. for this. We moved to the county for into the country for nights under the stars and peace and quiet. Not to have high impact heavy industrial chemical operations security lighting disrupting our lives. And We, the people of Peterson Drive, rely on you, the Laramie County Planning and Development Office, to protect our best interests. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, please.

Good afternoon. My name is Katie Cover. I live at 2438 Peterson Drive. Thank you for taking the time to listen to us this afternoon. My family and I relocated to this location in 2020 from Southern California, where we saw an influx of our neighborhoods becoming industrial. My husband is a two-time cancer survivor and a first responder. and we moved here so that we could raise our family, and we were blessed with a son. We have a three-year-old who walks these streets with his sisters when going to get the mail. We have a teenage driver and another one on the way who will be learning to drive on these roads that are already very narrow, who has been sideswiped into these ditches that adding semi-trucks to will only increase the danger that will happen to these teenage drivers that are learning to drive. We moved to this area so that we could avoid people and live a rural life, raising our family and adding this industrial complex is just something that in 2020 while there was quiet and I was told it was just slime parties, not realizing the extent of what was really happening in my front yard. trees and unsightliness of having to drive by that, being able to watch the stars and the safety of my children. My husband being a first responder, I don't know what kind of employees you're bringing in, but then that jeopardizes his safety with a take-home vehicle, as well as my best friend who's a sheriff's deputy. So I ask that you please deny this.

Thank you. Anyone else? Please come on up.

Sorry, you guys thought you were done. Dan Montgomery, 1906, Road 124. You know, obviously I agree with everything everybody said. They're all valid arguments, totally. But a friend of mine told me here recently that reminded me that your guys' decisions is based on meeting the criteria and not emotions. So I won't mention any names. Brian Casey. Okay. Anyway, the biggest emphasis I want to make on that, though, is the precedent that you guys heard my son mention. And what concerns me about that, I'm really good at winning friends and influencing people. So even with these guys sitting here, I'm perplexed as to how this was done. put forward as meeting criteria. I know most of you guys, and most of you guys know me, so I'm not going to insult your intelligence by repeating what the criteria is. But I just personally, I can't find where it meets any criteria for this. And I do have some experience, as you guys well know. I have purchased, developed, remodeled, and own numerous commercial and industrial properties. Which brings me to the other thing that's probably going to make everybody irritated is we probably could have avoided this whole thing if I would have got up and spoke first. Because as Mr. Whitaker mentioned, he's open to other alternatives and everybody knows of one. Well, I just happened to have submitted a site plan to the city of Cheyenne and about ready to break ground on a 40,000 square foot industrial property. right off I-80 that would probably suit that business perfectly. So I want it on record that I'm totally willing to negotiate, build the suit on that before we break ground. So there's that and as you guys well know, lots of opportunity for industrial properties out there. We're all business owners, most of us that, you know, or know business owners. that uh... you know what i i i get it's a lot of money to save to plop this thing on a residential five-acre parcel on the county but there's a reason for the zoning and uh... We're all having to pay the freight to do what's right, and if you're going to run a business, you've got to do it right. It's good stewardship, and it's a good neighbor thing. I don't know how you even propose this and look at your neighbors in the eyes. Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Anyone else for this item?

Anyone else for this item? I'll get you up after the public hearing portion of it, all right? Anyone else for this item? All right, I'll close public hearing of this item and look for questions from staff and be able to have the applicant address any items that he wants to.

Mr. Chairman, through you, Justin, Arnold Laramie County Planning and Development. I won't speak on behalf of the developer, but I did want to clarify some of the history here and why you have this instrument, that being the Class B conditional use permit before you today. You might recall we adopted new land use regulations in August of 2025. Previous to that, this would have been a use by right, which means that no governing body could have denied it. They could have placed conditions on it, but please understand we have 2,400 square miles in Laramie County, and that's called the land use zone district. And previous to that, anything that wasn't a large wind farm, a large solar farm, shooting range was a use by right. So I've sat in so many of these meetings previous to those adopted regulations where someone wanted to put a bar in a rural subdivision or wedding event venues in a rural subdivision. And our department was tasked with finding instruments that allowed people to provide for their private property rights, provide for flexibility. But what could we use to determine reasonable use where the proposal's situated? And those were via conditional use permits. You can apply for anything anywhere in Laramie County, but we have governing bodies in place that are a jury of your peers that are able to look at these applications. determined just such a thing via the conditional use permit application. So that's why we placed that instrument there as it relates to existing businesses. We had a similar type conundrum as it related to those. As there were hundreds of existing businesses that didn't know they needed to have some semblance of a commercial site plan or a home occupation permit. So what we did at that point in time is effectively grandfather them with the caveat that they were subject to our nuisance regulations, i.e., if you had too much junk blowing off the site or you had unsightly messes, we could mitigate via that way. But the governing bodies didn't want to prohibit someone's ability to make a living. So just know that because of that, we've put these pieces in place so that we have the people chosen by the people making the decisions as to whether it's a reasonable use where it's situated. Because we all do innately understand some semblance of zoning. You don't put your residence next to an industrial park. And that works in the inverse. So just know that's the instrument we have in place that seems to be working thus far in Laramie County. But there's a little bit of a background. I would also note that the commercial site plan at the discretion of the planning commission could come back before them for final approval should they decide to approve it, approve it with conditions or deny the application. So I hope that provides some clarity for what you're seeing before you today. Thank you.

Mr. Whitaker, if you want to step forward and just make short and brief your comments, that would be outstanding.

I just want to address a couple things that came up during the discussion. I heard the term high-impact industrial and all this material chemicals getting in the septic systems, and that absolutely doesn't happen. It's never happened. It won't happen. We don't, and there might be, there is boron, which is found in laundry detergents, that possibly somebody could get some on their fingers or something, rinse their fingers off or something, maybe minute amounts, but it'd be negligible compared even at a home that's doing their laundry. It'd be not even comparable to that. So that materials do not get in the septic system. As far as traffic goes, it is true. And the reason we have 25 people now, or we used to have 45 working for us, or 50 is because we, I think I said that earlier, we got equipment, so we have to... number of people probably put out 10 times the output of product but we don't that's what we have is 25 people working for about work plus or minus a few um so they would come in there so there's 25 cars that's a fact but as far as industrial you know people talk about industrial traffic there is about one semi a week come in to take care of us um and there's uh the ups and fedex trucks come in about once a day so that's that's the fact right what happens and I there's no everybody's worried about groundwater obviously I am too I drink the water there too the last thing I want is contaminated water we don't get any we're close to anything that would contaminate water and so I just thought I'd mention that to address those points thank you with that discussion or questions from the planning commission towards staff or the applicant

Hearing none, I'd like for a motion. Do we have a motion? We'll need a motion to move forward.

Mr. Chair, through you, just I guess go back to a little bit of discussion I'm very familiar with the area, grew up out there. My family lived out there since the 70s, so I know the area very well. It has grown tremendously. All of these homes that are on Peterson Drive, Channel Drive, all of those were not even there when I was a kid. So it has grown, traffic has increased, but it has mainly been increased in residential developments five acre tracks things like that i do not believe this is probably an area whatsoever for any kind of manufacturing or anything like that so that's my thought i'll leave it at that any other discussion

Mr. Chair, through you.

That's okay. We're past that now. Thank you, though.

Just to keep the process moving, I'm going to go ahead and make the motion to approve the Class B Conditional Use Permit for the Dope Slimes Manufacturing Expansion and adopt the findings of Facts A and B of the staff report with no condition.

It's been moved. Is there a second? Second. Moved and second discussion. Just a little bit of comment from my perspective. Thank you all for being respectful for each other and also to the applicant. These are tough decisions and the conditional use permit is new for us, as Justin, as Director Arnold said. And I struggle with it on a personal note because I just had this recently happen in my backyard. The body here has to make a very tough decision, and we are volunteers, but I don't believe that pinning a non-conforming business into a neighborhood is the right sense for secured long-term planning for our county. I do believe that you will have more commercial opportunities along Yellowstone Road in the future. I can envision a gas station and Starbucks and those things someplace in those areas, and we have to be prepared for that, but that's part of the planning process. The conditional use permit allows us the opportunity to have the discussions, to hear from you, to be able to levy those discussions with what the regulations provide us the opportunity to do. And on the flip side of that, I'm also a strong advocate for our rights as private citizens to do what's reasonable on our property. Those are our laws that govern us for the state of Wyoming. However, it does have to make sense in the right areas. So with that, any other discussion? May we call for the vote, please?

Commissioner Stottle?

No.

Commissioner Watkins?

No.

Commissioner Casey?

No.

Chairman Coy?

No. That item does not pass. May we have the next item, please?

Agenda item number three is a public hearing on a preliminary subdivision plan for the R&R Heights located in a portion of land situated in the west half of Section 2, Township 14 North, Range 68 West, west of the 6 p.m. Laramie County, Wyoming. Chairman Coy and members of the commission.

Let's have you stand by one second. If you would like to leave, you're more than welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting, but if you'd like to leave, let's give you a moment to scoot out so that we don't interrupt and miss something. No, it was not passed. It did not pass. Mm-hmm.

I know. Yeah. Right, right.

Thank you.

Okay, we're going to take a two-minute break so that one of the commissioners can use the restroom and Director Arnold can stretch his legs also.

Before Commissioner Thompson gets here, please breathe.

Can I just leave in the middle?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. um um

Thank you.

Oh my god, it's chilly.

All right, it looks like we have everybody back. Ms. Cundall, if you want to go ahead with the third agenda item, please.

Chairman Coy and members of the Planning Commission, I'm giving this report on behalf of Sunny Porchot, the Associate Planner. My name is Kate Cundall, an Associate Planner with Laramie County. Palma Land Planning LLC, on behalf of landowner Jean Wheeler Revocable Trust, has submitted an application for a preliminary subdivision plan for the above location. The purpose of the application is to subdivide a 319.71 acre lot into 52 single family residential lots. If approved, a major subdivision permit and plat will be required. The subject property is located in the Land Use Zone District and is currently used for agricultural purposes. The surrounding area is residential to the west, agricultural vacant land to the east and south, and commercial uses and detached residential. The property is located at the intersection of Horse Creek Road or State Highway 211 and Road 215. Given the difficulty of this intersection and access to the proposed subdivision, access will be reconfigured at this intersection to grant access from Road 215 and another access point off Road 116. No direct access will be from Horse Creek Road. Pertinent Laramie County land use regulations or statutory provisions include Wyoming Statute 18.5.301 through 18.5.306, Wyoming Statute 34.12.101 through 34.12.115, Section 4-4-101 governing preliminary subdivision plans, Section 2-4-104 governing the LU land use zone district, and Section 1-3-100, governing public notice. Joining us today is Casey Palma, the applicant's agent, who is available to answer any questions you may have.

Mr. Palma.

Good afternoon, Chairman, Commissioners. Casey Palm with Palm Land Planning, agent for the applicant. I think staff pretty well covered it. That is, any of you that know that intersection know how awkward it is. So my client is also here today. They kind of volunteered themselves to do some pretty major improvements just to try to clean that up and make it safer. We've been working with YDOT, Public Works, and the county engineer. on what that looks like and how to move that forward. There will be some widening of Horse Creek Road, the highway there, so that there will be a turn lane and still retaining the bike lanes that are required by their standards in this area. So I'd be happy to address any questions you might have.

Any questions for the applicant's agent? Thank you, Casey. If you want to continue with the staff report.

The Laramie County Comprehensive Plan identifies the area as rural ag interface, which anticipates these areas to primarily be used for rural and residential uses. Development should be located on existing right-of-ways where possible. A new development in this area shall address water availability, public lands access, cultural resource preservation, and roads and connectivity. Future development in the RAI area should take into consideration minimizing impacts to view sheds and wildlife, especially in western portions of Laramie County. This proposed project is in conformance with this plan. According to the adopted AMEC memo dated January 31, 2014, the property lies within Zone 2 of the study area. The memo states that lots within this zone shall be a minimum of five acres to sufficiently recharge groundwater after withdrawal from a pumping well. Development design standards contained within Section 2-1-104 of the LCLUR dictate the minimum acreage within Zone 2 be 5.25 acres to accommodate for the impervious surface of residential structures and driveways. The proposed action does meet these requirements. A subdivision of more than five lots require a submittal of a Chapter 23 study to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. A DEQ Chapter 23 application will be submitted and a letter of non-adverse recommendation will be required prior to recordation. Water and sanitary sewers will be provided by individual wells and septic systems. The Environmental and Services Impact Report provides a general outline of the project and its impact on schools, stormwater runoff, and county services. Portions of these parcels lie within the FEMA 100-year floodplain. The land analysis map provides information regarding the buildable areas for the proposed subdivision. At the time of this report, agency reviewer comments were still being addressed. Public notice was provided and public comments have been attached to this report for review. Section 2-3-102 of the Laramie County Land Use Regulations require that the Laramie County Planning Commission find that the proposed use is permitted and is in conformance with all applicable development standards. Staff finds this application is in conformance with the plans and policies of Laramie County. Based on evidence provided, staff finds that A, this application meets the criteria for a preliminary subdivision plan pursuant to section 4-101 of the 2025 LCLUR, and B, this application is in conformance with section 2-4-104 of the 2025 LCLUR governing the land use zone district. and that the Planning Commission may approve the preliminary subdivision plan for R and R Heights subdivision with the following condition. One, all agency comments must be addressed and or corrected prior to recordation. And with that, I would stand for any questions you may have.

Any questions for staff? No questions for staff. This is a public hearing for this, and anyone in the audience who would like to address the commission on this proposal, we invite you to come forward and address the commission. We ask that you speak into the microphone and state your name and address. We also ask that you keep your comments to three minutes or less so we have an opportunity to hear everyone. If you're watching online virtually and would like to make comments during the public hearing portion of this meeting, please comment now. IT, is there anyone online for public comment?

There's nobody online.

There's nobody online. We'll close the online portion of the public comment. Open it up to the floor for anyone here interested in making public comment. Anyone here for public comment? Anyone here for public comment? We will close public comment and look for a motion in discussion.

Mr. Chair, through you, I move to approve the preliminary subdivision plan for R&R Heights, located in a portion of land situated in the west half of Section 2, Township 14 North, Range 68 West of the 6 p.m. Laramie County, Wyoming, and adopt the findings of fact A and B of the staff report with the following conditions. One, all agency comments must be addressed and or corrected prior to recordation.

Second. Moved and second. Any discussion? No discussion. Please call for the vote.

Commissioner Stottle?

Yes.

Commissioner Watkins?

Yes.

Commissioner Casey?

Aye.

Chairman Coy?

Yes. Fifth item, please. I'm sorry, fourth item, please.

The next agenda item is a public hearing on a Class B conditional use permit for the Canines for Mobility Multifamily Residential, located in a portion of Section 4, Township 13 North, Range 65 West, Laramie County, Wyoming. Commissioner Coy and members of the Commission, Kate Kendall, Associate Planner. Executive Builders, on behalf of Canines for Mobility, has submitted a Class B Conditional Use Permit application for approval of the Canines for Mobility Multifamily Residential at 11805 Campstool Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming. The subject property is located in the Land Use Zone District. The parcel is currently assessed as residential improved land without buildings. The surrounding area is zoned land use and consists of a mixture of residences and pasture. Multifamily residential use is allowed in the LU Zone District but requires a Class B conditional use permit. Approval of this permit will allow the applicant to apply for a building permit for a manufactured home that will provide temporary housing for visiting dog trainers. Pertinent Laramie County land use regulations or statutory provisions include section 2-3-102 subsection D subsection 2 governing the conditional use type B permitting process, section 2-4-104 governing the land use zone district, and section 1-3-100 governing public notices. And joining us today is the applicant's agent for the project, Don.

Well, good afternoon, Commissioners. My name's Don Blakeslee. I reside at 5028 Hilltop Avenue. And I run Executive Builders. And... As Kate mentioned, Canine for Mobility is a nonprofit that trains dogs for those with disabilities. And what they'd like to do is bring a manufacturer home a trailer out there on their property. And it would be temporary housing as they bring in trainers that would train their dogs in certain disciplines. So any of these trainers might be there from anywhere two to six months. And one of the aspects is this property is leased that they're on, and they felt like if at any point they needed to relocate, they would be able to relocate this facility to their new property.

All right, thank you. Any questions for the applicant? Thank you. If you want to continue with the staff report, please.

Chairman Coy and members, the Laramie County Comprehensive Plan identifies the areas as rural metro. Where possible, denser residential uses should be encouraged. This parcel lies in the Plan Cheyenne Agricultural Rural Area. Agency review comments have been addressed. A commercial septic permit is required and the application has been submitted to Environmental Health. Public notice was provided and no public comments were received. A conditional use is given to land use meant to be beneficial to the permitted uses or those similar within a zoning district with conditions, or it requires conditions to mitigate impacts it may have on the surrounding area. Land use or land use proposals similar in nature, intensity, and community impact, which requires a conditional use permit, has probable impacts and is required to meet all LCLUR conditions. Class B conditional uses are those meant to be beneficial to an area and are permissible in their zoning district. Section 2-3-102 of the LCLUR requires that the Laramie County Planning Commission make a determination as to whether the proposed use is permitted and is in conformance with all applicable development standards. Staff finds this application is in conformance with the plans and policies of Laramie County. Based on evidence provided, staff finds that A, this application meets the criteria for a Class B conditional use permit pursuant to Section 2-3-102 of the 2025 Laramie County Land Use Regulations and B, this application is in conformance with Section 2-4-104 of the 2025 LCLUR governing the Land Use Zone District. and that the Planning Commission may approve the Class B conditional use permit for canines for mobility, multifamily, residential with no conditions. And with that, I would be happy to answer any questions.

Any questions for staff?

Yes, Chairman, through you. On this type of situation, I remember reading somewhere in the land use regulations about a yearly permit. I guess what I'm getting to is since this is a lease property, what happens when they're not leasing this property and does the trailer stay and can we have, then is this always going to be multifamily?

This approval is for multifamily. The additional living For family members, that requires a renewal every three years, and it has to be a temporary structure, like a manufactured home. Since this is going to be longer than that, it's not for family. It's being considered then as multifamily. Since the applicant owns the trailer, if they no longer lease the property, I assume unless the owner of the property would purchase it, it would be removed when they vacate the property. But otherwise, it could remain there for additional housing. That's what you're approving today.

Thank you. Any other questions for staff? With that, we'll open up this item for public hearing. If there's anyone in the audience who would like to address the commission on this proposal, we invite you to come forward and address the commission. We ask that you speak in the microphone. State your name and address. We also ask that you keep your comments to three minutes or less so that we have an opportunity to hear from everybody. If you're watching virtually online, please comment at this time. IT, is there anyone online?

There's nobody online.

Nobody online. We'll close the online portal for that. Anybody in the audience for this item? Anyone in the audience for this item? Anyone in the audience for this item? With that, we'll close the public hearing for this item and look for discussion and a motion.

Mr. Chair, through you, I move to approve the Class B conditional use permit for the canines for mobility multifamily residential and adopt the findings of FACTS A and B of the staff report. I would... I'll leave it at that.

Let's maybe have discussion. Is there a second for the item? I second. Any discussion?

Mr. Chair, through you, kind of my thought process here is thinking if the leasee leaves the property and decides to take the trailer with them, we have a septic system in place on that property. Does that create any environmental issues down the road for an abandoned septic system?

And I guess the question would be, does it tie into the current septic system, or is it a totally separate one? The paperwork says it's separate.

Mr. Chairman, through you, Justin Arnold, they're obtaining a separate septic permit through Environmental Health for this residence. When it's moved, it would have to be effectively decommissioned. Again, once this use ceases, then any new use would have to come before for multifamily would be a different type of use needing another approval.

Okay, that answers my question. Thank you.

Mr. Arnold, Would it be possible to just add a condition that if the property is moved or the trailer is moved, that one of the conditions would be that the special use permit would be not rescinded but be nullified at that point?

Mr. Chairman, any time that use ceases, then this acts as the zoning for the dog mobility and the employee living. So when that use ceases, the zoning goes away and would need a new conditional use for any commercial, anything beyond the residential.

Okay. I think that's our concern is because they are leasing it, if they did move, by chance they ended up receiving a donation of land and put in a facility that you know, then whoever took on the leases area, that they would have a multifamily dwelling that wouldn't fit the permit.

Mr. Chairman, through you, they would have to get a similar type approval as before you today.

Any other discussion? Kate, if you'd call for the vote, please.

Commissioner Stottle?

Yes.

Commissioner Watkins?

Yes.

Commissioner Casey?

Aye.

Chairman Coy?

Yes. Next item, please.

Next agenda item, public hearing on a zone change for the Archer Complex PUD to amend the uses allowed within the Gateway Zone and the Interstate Transition Zone. Located within a portion of the north half of Section 27, Township 14 North, Range 65 West of the 6 PM, Laramie County, Wyoming.

Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning and Development. Fritual Energy LLC authorized by the Board of County Commissioners has submitted a zone change application for the above mentioned parcel of land. The purpose of the application is to seek approval to update the existing PUD or planned unit development for To include language for the gateway zone and interstate transition zone to include truck stops, vehicle fueling stations, including electric truck and automobile charging stations. Battery energy storage systems, alternative energy fueling stations, including hydrogen vehicles, mobile data center sites. Building height within the Gateway Zone District shall be limited to 45 feet. Vehicle repair maintenance that takes place entirely within a building, screened outdoor storage, convenience store, restroom, showers, green space, including a small pet relief area. The subject property is 85 acres, currently zoned planned unit development, specific to the Laramie County Archer Complex, which consists of five separate zone bases and the planned land use in character. Surrounding parcels are zoned land use zone district, community business, light industrial, Amending the current PUD to include the language suggested falls within the intended plan to integrate intelligent design solutions, low water consumption, efficient energy use, integration with Wyoming's natural high plains environment. Pertinent regulations include section 21103 of the 2025 LCLUR governing the criteria for a zone map amendment and section 24111 of the 2025 land use regulations governing the planned unit development zone district. And with that, we do have the agents and applicant here to answer any questions you might have related to the zone change.

Would the applicant like to come forward or not? It's up to you. You don't have to, but if you want to.

Chairman and members of the Planning Commission, my name is Jennifer Vecchi, and I'm a land use planning consultant representing the Fritchi Energy Company and their representative, Christine Michael. And as you'll notice, Jason Crowder isn't here today, but I'm here on his behalf as well. We're here today to ask you to please approve the zoning amendment as outlined by the staff. They did a very thorough job of that, and we do believe that the amendment with the additional uses is very complementary to both the Archer Complex PUD and the I-80 corridor. It will also be basically serving the traveling public. And so I'm happy to answer any other questions that you might have.

Any questions from the commission? Thank you.

Tom Parco is here. Did I mention Tom? Sorry. He's here also as a land use planning consultant. And so just I wanted to let you know that.

Thank you. Mr. Arnold, if you want to continue with the staff report.

Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning. The Laramie County Comprehensive Plan designates this area as urban-rural interface. This property will eventually be tied into the City of Cheyenne's Board of Public Utilities Water and Sewer District. All agency review comments have been addressed accordingly. Public notice was provided and public comments have been attached to this report for review. Section 21103 subsection E states that prior to making a recommendation to the county commissioners about any zoning map amendment, the planning commission is required to find one. The zone change request supports and upholds the safety and health of the community and that it endorses the general welfare of the inhabitants in Laramie County. And that one of the following two is also determined and declared to be a finding. A, the existing zoning classification of the land does not fit the overall development pattern of the area or There have been changes of a physical, economic, or social nature within the area which has prompted the request in which enable the zone change to better meet community needs. Criteria one and B are met by the type of action proposed and by meeting all of planning's application criteria. Based on the evidence provided, staff recommends that A, this application does meet the criteria for a zone map amendment pursuant to section 21103 of the LCLUR. And B, the proposed change in zone district is in conformance with the requirements of section 24111 of the LCLUR. And that the planning commission may recommend approval for the Archer complex PUD to amend the uses allowed within the gateway zone and the interstate transition zone. As shown in the attached exhibit A is zone change map and exhibit B amended PUD language located within a portion of the north half of section 27, township 14 north, range 65 west of the 6th principal meridian Laramie County, Wyoming with no conditions. And with that, I stand for any questions.

Any questions for staff? This is a public hearing. If there's anyone in the audience who'd like to address the commission on this proposal, we invite you to come forward and address the commission. We ask that you speak in the microphone, state your name and address, and keep your comments to three minutes or less so that we have an opportunity to hear from everyone. If you're watching virtually, here's your opportunity to comment online, and we'll open the public hearing. Is there anyone online for this item?

There's no one online.

Thank you. We'll close the online portal. Anybody in the audience for this item that would like to make comment? Anybody in the audience that'd like to make comment? Nobody in the audience that would like to make comment on this? We'll close the public hearing and have a discussion and look for a motion.

Mr. Chair, through you, I move to recommend approval of a zone change for the Archer Complex PUD to amend the uses allowed within the Gateway Zone and the Interstate Transition Zone, as shown on the attached Exhibit A zone change map and Exhibit B amended PUD language. Located within a portion of the north half of section 27, township 14 north, range 65 west of the 6 p.m. Laramie County, Wyoming, to the Laramie County Board of Commissioners and adopt the findings of facts A and B of the staff report with no conditions.

It's been moved. Is there a second? Second. Moved and second. Any discussion? Ms. Cundall, if you want to call for the vote.

Commissioner Stottle?

Yes.

Commissioner Watkins?

Yes.

Commissioner Casey? Aye. Chairman Coy?

Yes. That item passes on to the next agenda item.

The next agenda item is a public hearing on a subdivision permit in Platt for Furtick Ranch Subdivision, situated in the northwest quarter of Section 11, Township 14 North, Range 65 West of the 6 PM Laramie County, Wyoming.

Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning, presenting on behalf of Sunny M. Portio, the planner for the project. Style Surveying Services, LLC, on behalf of the landowner, Redco Inc., has submitted a subdivision permit and plat application for Furtig Ranch Subdivision, formerly Redco Ranch. located north of East Four Mile Road and Road 215. The application has been submitted to subdivide 83 acres into 13 residential lots of roughly six acres each. The current use of the property is vacant agricultural land and is situated in the land use zone district. The overall subdivision would require access from Road 215 via a previously recorded access easement, while internal lots would access from a newly dedicated right of way. The plat proposes to vacate a portion of the access easement created for this anticipated subdivision, which would still apply to the exempt subdivision to the north. Pertinent Laramie County land use regulations and statutory provisions include Wyoming Statute 185301 through 185306. 34-12-101 through 34-12-115. Section 21-101, A through E, governing criteria for a minor subdivision permitting plat. Section 4-2-114, governing the land use zone district. And Section 12-104, governing public notice. With that, we have Shane Hansen, agent for the applicant, here to answer any questions you may have.

Mr. Hanson. Good afternoon. Shane Hanson, Stiles Surveying Services. Previously recorded project, DEQ needed to get some nitrates down. In order to do so, we need to remove one tract. We've done that. We're running it back through.

Any questions for the applicant? Thank you, Mr. Hanson. Staff, do you want to continue? Mr. Arnold.

Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning. The Laramie County Comprehensive Plan identifies the area as rural ag interface. The subdivision of more than five lots requires the middle of a chapter 23 study to the Department of Environmental Quality and a non-adverse letter from DEQ must be received prior to plat recordation. Individual septic systems will provide sanitary services. According to the adopted Amec memo dated January 31st, 2014, the property, excuse me, lies within zone two of the study area, requiring a minimum of 5.25 acres gross. Public notice was provided as required with no public comment received. Agency review comments are still ongoing as of the date of this report regarding the status of the roads being built and built to county standards. The subdivision was submitted as RedcoTracks, second filing, changed to Redco Ranch to distinguish it from the exempt subdivision to the north. And upon this submission has been renamed Deferred Ranch. Based on evidence provided, staff recommends that A, this application, staff finds that A, this application meets the criteria for a subdivision permitting plat pursuant to section 21101, subsections A through E of the LCLUR. And B, this application is in conformance with section 42114 governing the land use zone district. And that the Planning Commission may recommend approval of the subdivision permit in Platt for Furtig Ranch to the Laramie County Board of Commissioners with the following conditions. One, a non-adverse Chapter 23 DEQ recommendation is received by the Planning Department prior to the Platt recordation. And two, the developer of the subdivision shall build railway lane from railroad road. As shown on the plat up to the access of the exempt subdivision to the north. And shall build Furtig Ranch Road and Raymond Trail as shown on the plat to the proposed LCLUR August 5th, 2025 adoption. Local county road rural subdivision with build out volume less than 350 ADT as shown in the attached exhibit A. And three, the developer of this subdivision shall build the remainder of the private access easement duly recorded in book 2421, page 1003. Also, as shown on the attached exhibit A, to the proposed LCOUR private access standards dated 8-5 of 2025. And with that, I stand for any questions.

Any questions for staff? This is a public hearing. If there's anyone in the audience who'd like to address the commission on this proposal, we invite you to come forward and address the commission. We ask you to speak in the microphone, state your name and address, and keep your comments to three minutes or less. If you're online, this is your opportunity to make public comment online. IT, is there anyone online?

There's nobody online.

We'll close the online portion of this meeting. Anybody in the audience for this item? There's nobody left in the audience, so we will close public hearing for this item and look for a discussion in motion.

Mr. Chairman, through you, if I'm understanding right, they've changed the name basically so that they don't have to do anything with the existing development, is that correct?

Mr. Arnold, are you able to address that?

Mr. Chairman, given the fact that this hasn't been recorded yet, the name change is still as part of the reconsideration. And they are working through that family exempt subdivision to the north and bringing the roads or improving them to some semblance, which are part of the conditions of approval.

Just wanted to be clear. Thank you. Any other questions for staff or discussion?

I move to recommend approval of the Ferdie branch subdivision permit and plat situated on the Northwest quarter of section 11 township 14 North range 65 West of the 6 PM Laramie County, Wyoming to the Laramie County board of County commissioners and adopt the findings of facts A and B of the staff report with the following conditions. It's been moved. Is there a second?

Oh, you're going to list the commissions. I'm sorry. Excuse me.

A non-adverse Chapter 23 DEQ recommendation is received by the Planning Department prior to PLAT recordation. The developer of the subdivision shall build Railway Lane from Railroad Road as shown on PLAT documentation. On the plat up to access the exhibit subdivision, exempt subdivision to the north and shell, build Furtick Branch Road and Raymond Trail as shown on the plat to the proposed LCLUR 08525 adoption, local county road. local county road rural subdivision with build out volume less than 300 ADT as shown in the attached article A. The developer of this subdivision shall build the remainder of the private access easement duty recorded at BK 2421 page 1003 also shown in the attached exhibit A to the proposed LCLUR private access standards dated August 5th, 2025 adoption.

Now, is there a second? I second. Moved and seconded any discussion. Only thing I'll comment on is I think this is the first time that we've ever had a subdivision of this size without any public comment. With that, Kate, will you call for the vote?

Commissioner Stottle? Yes. Commissioner Watkins?

Yes.

Commissioner Casey?

Aye.

Chairman Coy?

Aye. Okay, we have one final item on the agenda, and that is that you recognize John Watkins. This will be his last... County Planning Commission meeting, at least for this term. In recognition of your six years of service and dedication to the constituents of Laramie County, the Laramie County Planning Commission 2020 to 2026, we'd like to present you with this plaque for your service.

Thank you.

Thanks, John.

Any comments, John?

Good luck. Suckers.

With that, we will close the County Planning Commission meeting.