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Planning Commission recommends council approve updates to Casper Aquifer Protection overlay with several amendments
Summary
The Laramie Planning Commission on Jan. 27 recommended City Council approve amendments to the Casper Aquifer Protection Overlay text in Laramie Municipal Code, adopting five commissioner amendments to clarify technical terms, well registration and contaminants reporting.
The Laramie Planning Commission on Jan. 27 voted unanimously to recommend City Council adopt amendments to the Casper Aquifer Protection Overlay text in Laramie Municipal Code (LMC) 15.08.040.a and 15.08.060.a, following staff presentation and several commissioner‑substituted edits.
Staff described the package as code updates that implement the Casper Aquifer Protection Plan update the city and Albany County adopted in mid‑2024. City staff said the package does not change the overlay boundary — that boundary was already adopted in mid‑2024 — but revises definitions, prohibited uses, site‑specific investigation procedures, on‑site wastewater design standards and the process to amend the overlay boundary.
Commissioners proposed and the commission approved five specific amendments to staff’s draft language before forwarding the recommendation to council: restore the struck word “borehole” where its deletion appeared inconsistent in the draft; replace the phrase “qualified hydrogeologist” with “Wyoming‑licensed professional geologist;” insert a missing word (“that”) into the prohibited‑uses table item concerning UIC wells; add a sentence to the site‑specific investigation section stating, “To the extent not prohibited by table 15.08.040.a, a list will be provided of potential contaminants and amounts stored, generated or handled on the subject property;” and revise the wells registration language in item 13 to require wells “registered or permitted by the city manager” consistent with recent amendments to LMC 13.04.360.
Staff said the changes reflect recommendations from the adopted Casper Aquifer Protection Plan and mirror similar updates Albany County has already adopted. Staff also noted the draft removes an obsolete 201 wastewater agreement reference and adds well‑registration requirements aligned with the city’s well program.
After approving the amendments, the commission voted to recommend that City Council approve the text amendment package, citing the findings of fact and conclusions of law included in the staff report. A roll call vote recorded six yeses, zero nos and one absence; the text amendment recommendation will go to City Council for ordinance readings.
Commissioners and staff emphasized the next steps: the commission’s recommendation goes to City Council, which must follow the standard zoning amendment procedure (public hearing and three readings) to change the overlay by ordinance.
