The Park County Board of County Commissioners on July 2 directed staff to prepare a resolution approving the rezoning of a 163.2-acre parcel in Como from residential to agricultural (case A25-30). The board voted 3-0 to move the matter forward after county planning staff and the applicant described the property and proposed uses.

Planner Brandon Heacock told the board the parcel — described in the hearing record by its legal description in Section 12, Township 10 South, Range 76 West and addressed in the record as 3231 (transcript shows variant spellings) — is largely open, has been used for grazing and abuts Bureau of Land Management parcels. Heacock said the county’s advisory board on the environment flagged a concern that the proposed house site might sit within a floodplain or be too close to wetlands; otherwise, no public comments or referrals were recorded. He said the Planning Commission heard the case on June 17 and unanimously recommended approval with no conditions.

Applicant Brad Hughes told commissioners he plans to build a house and keep livestock, stating his intent to raise cattle and describing personal motivations to produce humane, grass-fed food. Heacock said the applicant plans for about 10 cattle pairs on the property. County staff noted the driveway was permitted by the county in February 2009 and that any incompatible or higher-impact agricultural use would require a conditional-use permit and additional public hearings.

Commissioners discussed the fit of an agricultural zoning designation in the area, noting the parcel’s size fits agricultural minimums and that agricultural uses generally have lower impacts in terms of density and traffic than some residential subdivisions. Commissioner Mitchell said she would continue to advise applicants to “do your homework” on tax and other implications. The board instructed county staff to draft findings of fact and a resolution to approve the rezoning; that draft will return to the board for formal adoption.