Commission recommends denial of request to rezone 17.81 acres to urban agriculture

The Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of zoning case ZC25‑03, a request by Ben Hansel to rezone approximately 17.81 acres from urban residential to urban agriculture. The commission voted 5‑0 to recommend denial and will forward that recommendation to the county commissioners.

Sabrina Kemper, county planning staff, told the commission the larger L‑shaped parcel sits inside the City of Casper growth management area and is surrounded by six different zones, most of them within Casper. “This would provide spot zoning,” Kemper said, and staff recommended denial in the written report but previously suggested tabling the matter to allow property owners to coordinate a majority request; staff said the applicant declined that path.

Hansel told the commission he owns substantial land east of the subject parcel and said he would not rezone the remainder of his holdings to urban agriculture. “I own at least 51% of that property that's to the east of this 1. And I I'm not interested in rezoning the entire landscape to urban agriculture,” Hansel said.

Commissioners debated whether the request should be tabled to allow more property owners to seek a coordinated rezoning; staff noted the county’s regulations require a majority (51%) of affected owners or area to change a larger zoning area and that tabling makes sense when neighbors wish to pursue a combined application. Because Hansel indicated he would not participate in a broader rezoning, the commission accepted staff’s recommendation and a motion to deny the requested zone change carried 5‑0. A commissioner noted the denial was based on spot‑zoning concerns and the absence of a coordinated neighborhood application.

The staff report will be corrected to reflect the motion language for next month’s record, county planning staff said. The denial is a recommendation to the county commissioners, who will consider the matter at a future public hearing.