Gardner residents ask Park County commissioners to begin adopting neighborhood plan into growth policy

Gardner residents asked the Park County Commission on June 17, 2020, to start the formal process of adopting the Gardner Neighborhood Plan into the county’s current growth policy and to put that item on a future commission agenda.

The request came from Pat Waltz Lee of Gardner, who said the neighborhood team worked from February 2018 through February 2022 with the community to develop the plan and presented it to the county in September 2020 and again at a special meeting on Dec. 1, 2023. “We were here today to request that this process begin to adopt the Gardner Neighborhood Plan to the current growth policy,” Waltz Lee said during the public-comment period.

If the commission moves the plan forward, county planning staff would follow the statutory process for review and a planning-board recommendation before final action by the commissioners, Planning Department staff told the commission during department reports. Residents asked for regular notice of progress so the neighborhood team can report back to the community.

Speakers during public comment described extensive outreach by the neighborhood committee and urged the commission to act. “We feel like we’re representing the community,” Lynn Chan said, asking the commission to notify the group of next steps and decisions. Some commenters said turnout at workshops was small and urged more public input before formal adoption; that concern was noted by both residents and commissioners during discussion.

Commissioners responded that attaching the plan to the current growth policy would be treated as an amendment and, under statute, would require a countywide vote. Commissioner Vermillion offered to meet with the neighborhood team and county planning staff to discuss next steps and timing.

The commission did not take immediate formal action on June 17; residents requested an agenda item and asked that commissioners address the plan again during the meeting’s comment period and in future scheduling.

Residents and staff provided a timeline of past outreach and asked the commission to clarify whether the plan would be adopted as an addendum to the growth policy or handled as a standalone document.

The neighborhood team asked the commission to place an action item on the next agenda and to notify the group of the outcome so they could inform Gardner residents of progress.