Commissioners approve 7-acre dwelling site split on William Gaughan farm

The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a request to separate a roughly seven-acre dwelling site from a larger farm owned by William (Bill) Gaughan.

The item, presented under building and zoning, asked the board to approve a dwelling-site split in Section 15, Township 22 North, Range 56 West. County planning staff said the application met the county's agricultural-estate standards, noting the parcel sits outside the pivot-irrigated area and has access to the highway.

During the public hearing, Gaughan said he purchased the farm in 2018 and was considering selling the property. "This is a farm that I bought in 2018... my wife made the point that that's a real pretty spot if somebody wanted to build a house on the highway," he told the board. He told commissioners he had no current plans to build himself and that the split was intended to provide a potential future home site for a buyer or to be sold separately if the larger farm did not sell.

Commissioners asked whether Gaughan had discussed tax implications with the assessor; he said he had not. Planning staff described the request as an agricultural-estate exception rather than a zone change and said the planning commission had voted 6–0 in favor.

The board voted 5–0 to approve the request. As part of the record, Gaughan said he intends to convey a permanent easement for driveway access if the parcel is sold separately so the new owner would have legal access without encumbrances.

Next steps: The approved split permits conveyance of the seven-acre dwelling site as an agricultural-estate exception; any future building will require appropriate building permits and assessor review for tax assessment changes.