Commissioners approve temporary amendment letting Old Faithful RV Park finish interior work before April 30

Park County commissioners approved a limited site-plan amendment allowing indoor construction work only at Old Faithful RV Park between the meeting approval date and April 30, 2025, while retaining the other conditions of the April 18, 2023 site-plan approval.

The application, submitted by Spencer McBurney and represented at the hearing by attorney Mark Thompson and engineer Brett Reed, requested clarification and amendment of condition number 5 in Park County Board of County Commissioners Resolution 2023-22. That condition had prohibited construction activities on the property from Nov. 15 through April 30 each year; the applicant asked the county to allow interior construction during that window so crews could finish cabin interiors.

Staff summarized the property's zoning (commercial retail within Land Use Change 96), the 2023 approval (12 cabins, 45 RV pads and a two-story amenity building), relevant agency comments and public comments. Park County Public Works raised no new concerns. Wyoming Game and Fish said it could accept an exemption for interior work if no more than two trucks are present at a time; the county noted that limit was a suggestion and enforcement was not clarified. Park County Weed and Pest reported large spotted knapweed infestations on a portion of the property and said a long-term weed-management plan required by the original approval had not been received.

Neighbors raised concerns during the public comment period and in emailed letters about perceived noncompliance with the site plan, disturbance to wildlife, fencing location, use of adjacent BLM land, presence of heavy equipment and noisy generators. Kim Bergen, a neighboring landowner, asked who would monitor vehicle counts and construction activity; staff said code compliance and planning and zoning would be the county's enforcement point.

The county's recommended conditions for approval were: (1) the amendment applies only from the meeting approval date through April 30, 2025, and does not otherwise alter condition 5 of the original approval; (2) the applicant must comply with all other conditions of Resolution 2023-22; and (3) the applicant must comply with Park County development standards and regulations. Commissioners amended the staff recommendation so the amendment would start immediately (the approval date) and run through April 30, 2025. The motion passed on a voice vote.

Applicant representatives said they anticipate opening the park this summer and that the indoor finish work is focused on 12 cabins near the highway side of the property. The applicant's engineer said the 100-foot open-space area from the high-water mark remains undeveloped and the owner intends to replace a required wood fence this spring. The county clarified that DEQ reviews the wastewater system and that permitting for those systems is at the state level.

Why it matters: The site sits in the North Fork planning area near the North Fork of the Shoshone River; neighbors and agencies raised environmental and weed-management concerns in addition to questions about enforcement and monitoring during the winter construction window.

Next steps: County staff will monitor compliance with the three conditions, ensure the required weed-management plan and fence repair are submitted and coordinate with DEQ on water/septic approvals as needed.