County updates on Tri‑Center, I‑80 widening outreach and zoning work; Panasonic employment figures corrected
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Summary
Business development and planning staff updated the commission on corrected Panasonic employment/square footage figures, NDOT I‑80 widening timeline and outreach plans, Tri‑Center drainage and parking studies, and upcoming zoning/design standards work.
Story County staff briefed commissioners on multiple planning and development efforts, including corrected employer statistics for Panasonic, NDOT’s I‑80 widening schedule and stakeholder outreach plans, and local studies for drainage and parking in the Tri‑Center and Virginia City.
Business Development Director Laura Mather said her July report erroneously doubled Panasonic’s employee count and square footage because the company briefly held duplicate business licenses. She corrected the figures to 4,500 employees and about 3,000,000 square feet and said she will update the county’s presentation and website.
Mather said NDOT has completed NEPA review for the I‑80 widening project, with design beginning in 2026 and construction expected to start in late 2027. NDOT plans about 18 months of stakeholder meetings; Mather said NDOT and the county have struggled to get business participation and will create targeted email lists and business‑specific outreach (Tri Center Facebook page, mailed flyers) to improve turnout.
Planning Director Kathy Camp told the board the county will begin a zoning code update (not a full overhaul) and a design‑standards revision tied to the master plan. The department is starting a Tri‑Center drainage study (streets and potential public right‑of‑way), continuing a Virginia City parking study and a B Street survey, and working with the Carson Water Subconservancy District on a Gold Hill drainage study. Camp also announced a Planning Commission community discussion on accessory dwelling units at its August 21 meeting.
County Manager Austin Osborne added that staff are reworking Title 5 business license ordinances and building foundational databases to improve permit and licensing processes.
Ending: Staff said they will post corrected Panasonic information online, coordinate NDOT stakeholder outreach, and return with progress reports on the drainage and zoning studies and the ADU community discussion.