Park County Land Use Plan To Kickoff in April

The Park County Land Use Plan has been preparing to kick off during March, with the first opportunities for public input scheduled for April.

Park County will spend the next two years revising its Land Use Plan, determining the future of zoning and construction in Cody, Powell, Meeteetse, and every other county community for the next few decades.

The Cody Planning and Zoning Department recently released two timelines. The first goes over the work completed in March, while the next outlines the following steps – including the first public input – throughout April.

Yesterday, the Park County Land Use Plan Board finished interviewing everyone interested in serving on the Land Use Plan Advisory Committee.

The L.U.P.A.C. will be entirely composed of county residents who want to be more intimately involved with the project. Over 70 people submitted applications for the L.U.P.A.C., ultimately consisting of approximately 15 people. “Getting the word out” will be one of the committee’s most important duties.

• March 1: Project Kick-off Meeting
  • Clarion Associates was in town to officially kick off the project.
• March 1-3: Focus Group Meetings
  • Clarion Associates facilitated ~50-minute discussions with fifteen specialty groups (e.g., utilities, conservation, irrigation, government, arts/culture/history, economic development, education, ag), gathering an enormous amount of information to give Clarion “the 30,000-foot level overview” of Park County and the development issues if faces.
  • Information gathered during these sessions will be used to help generate the “State of the County Report.”
• March 10: Project Logo and Branding Finalized
  • A logo and tagline have been created to use on all materials related to the project.
• March 3 – 21: L.U.P.A.C. Application Review
  • The Board reviewed 73 applications for the L.U.P.A.C. Over half of those applicants were interviewed, with the goal of interviewing at least two people from each planning area.
• March 11 – 21: Public Involvement Plan Development
  • Clarion and the core project team developed a draft of the Public Involvement Plan (P.I.P.) which outlines the various types of outreach and input-gathering opportunities to be offered.

There were weekly meetings to track the project’s progress and other assignments throughout March. These meetings will continue throughout the entire Land Use Plan Project.

April will be the first chance for the public to offer their opinions on the Land Use Plan – and the county’s youth will get the first opportunity.

Throughout April, Park County residents will hear more about the Land Use Plan, its purpose, and its progress. Along with more information, several venues of public input will be made available for the first time.

• New Project Website
• A new webpage has been designed specifically for the Land Use Plan development with launch either in late March or early April. The county and Land Use Plan Team will showcase project updates and information about ways to participate or provide input on this site.
• Online Survey Development
  • The first “official” opportunity for members of the public to weigh in collectively on this process will be an online survey. The survey is currently in development and will be released in early April.
• April 5: L.U.P.A.C. Candidates Selected/Announced by the Board
  • The L.U.P.A.C. will have its own kick-off meeting in late April.
• April 25-26: Meetings with students around the County
  • Project team members will visit with students from Northwest College, local high schools, and 4-H to find out what our youth appreciate about Park County and what would make them want to stay and live here once they complete their education.

The last time the county revised the Park County Land Use Plan was in 1998.

Updates on the progress of the Park County Land Use Plan can be found on the Park County Planning and Zoning Department website.