County approves rezoning for subdivisions

The Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on Monday to review and consider the approval of submissions by Dustin and Renee Thomas to replat Idlewild I Subdivision and Stephen and Paula Wolff for a 39.96-acre subdivision known as Lobo Estates, along with an application to change zoning from Agricultural to Residential Estate.

The Thomas’ reported that they had met all the requirements and that everything was in order. The Panning and Zoning Commission had already reviewed the proposal.

There was no dispute over the proposal, so the replat was approved with a vote of two to zero.

The Wolff’s also reported that all the necessary steps had been taken, including review from the Planning and Zoning Commission. But Connie Thomas, who lives across from the proposed subdivision, had several questions about the matter.

Thomas told the board that the roads in said subdivision would be maintained privately. She also accused the Wolffs of applying for the wrong kind of permit, saying that they have three camp trailers on the premises that appear to be occupied, and build a large shop from which they run heavy equipment.

Thomas explained that she and her husband inquired ten years ago about putting in a diesel shop. They were told that if they took it out of rural agricultural and put a commercial business in they would have to have their property rezoned to be commercial.

“It does not appear to be residential-friendly. If it were inside the city limits, there would be noise ordinances, there would be other considerations that are not apparently concerned about in the county as we were told they were ten years ago,” Thomas said.

The Wolffs explained that a family of five have their own home building construction company, but they are not running the business there. They have job trailers that they take to the sites and the large building is just used for storage of cars while they wait to see if they can purchase the land.

“I don’t see how it can be denied,” commissioner, Ken McMillen said. “Because I don’t want to tell Mr. Wolff or you [Thomas] either that you can’t use your property the way you want to use it as long as it falls within the designation, which this is residential estate district. As long as he [Wolff] stays within those parameters.”

Wolff again told the board that there was not a business being run on the property, and with that, the proposal was approved two to zero.