Planning and zoning board recommends building permit changes

Cheyenne County is poised to update some language used in planning and zoning regulations, including replacing references to building permits with notices of intent to build.

Planning and Zoning Commissioners met Monday to discuss the proposed changes. While the Commission makes recommendations, all action is ultimately up to the County Commissioners.

Nan Mull, Planning Commission chairwoman, said because the county doesn’t have building regulations, it shouldn’t be issuing building permits.

Currently, the county issues the permits on construction projects within its boundaries – as the present regulations stipulate.

Mull suggested replacing the term “building permit” in the planning and zoning regulations with “notice of intent to build.”

“We don’t have any jurisdiction because we have no building codes and no one to enforce them,” she said.

Commissioner Bill Sydow said modifying the terminology would allow the county to remain aware of construction projects.

Planning and Zoning commissioners unanimously approved recommending the name change.

Colleen Terman, county planning and zoning coordinator, asked the Commission to also consider changing a requirement for conditional use permit applications.

As the regulations are currently worded, a certified list from the County Assessor’s Office of nearby property owners is mandatory when submitting a conditional use permit application.

Terman said the County Assessor doesn’t issue “certified” lists and suggested striking that word from the requirement.

Mull asked Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub, who was present at the meeting, what he thought.

“I don’t have a problem with striking ‘certified,’ but if you leave out the part where the County Assessor is involved, then we’re just relying on the word of the applicant,” he said.

Schaub suggested changing the requirement from a certified list to a list based on information from the Cheyenne County Assessor’s Office.

Commissioners unanimously approved recommending the change.

Terman also said there are typos in the planning and zoning regulations and requested permission the fix them.

“Just simple typos: spelling, commas, ‘effect’ instead of ‘affect,’ ” she said. “Just simple little things.”

Schaub recommended she make the changes, then bring the document to Commissioners to approve the fixes.

The next Cheyenne County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 27 at 3 p.m. in the county courthouse.