Sweetwater County planning commission renews impound yard conditional use permit at 18 Wilkins Peak Drive

The Sweetwater County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 to renew a conditional use permit for an impound, salvage and storage yard at 18 Wilkins Peak Drive in Rock Springs.

The permit, for a facility operated by Joseph Fleim of Sunlight Services, was renewed with conditions including: the permit is personal to Fleim and remains in effect so long as the business complies with county regulations and maintains a valid Wyoming vehicle storage and disposal facility license; vehicles may not be stacked higher than 6 feet; existing screening must be maintained; and vehicles and trailers must be stored within the screened fence area.

Land use staff described the site as Foothills Lot 12, zoned I-2 (heavy industrial) and located in the county Growth Management Area and the Growth Management Area Highway Overlay District. Staff said the facility was originally permitted in June 2023 and that one of the previous conditions required 100% screening along the south and east property lines, including gates. Staff noted the applicant had requested the permit be granted indefinitely rather than the typical two-year term.

Applicant Joseph Fleim told the commission he lives in Rock Springs and answered questions about the screening. "On the east side, towards the highway, we have slats there. It's about 7 slats in 1 hole. So it's about 87.5% due to wind concerns," Fleim said, and described gate failures and damage from wind that led him to remove slats and reduce screening on the gates to roughly 50%. "On the gates, the wind is a big concern. I mean, it picks them up, it throws them," he said.

Commissioner discussion recorded no agency or public comments had been received during the notice period; staff said a public notice was posted April 22, 2025. When asked whether there had been complaints about the property since the last permit, a commissioner asked staff, and staff replied, "no complaints whatsoever." Staff noted vegetation and the property's location in an industrial subdivision reduced visibility from the highway and said they had previously inspected the screening area.

After closing the public hearing, a commissioner moved to approve the permit with the land use staff recommendations; the commission approved the motion 4-0.

The conditional use permit now on the record includes the conditions listed by staff and carries the screening and storage requirements that were part of the earlier permit. The commission's approval was limited to the items and conditions discussed at the hearing; no changes to county ordinance were made in this action.