Commissioners approve Peacock Minor Subdivision and related rezoning

The Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners approved the Peacock Minor Subdivision and a matching rezoning at its Feb. 25 meeting.

Staff reported a 51‑acre parent parcel would be divided into three lots: one lot contains an existing residence, a second is vacant and the third contains an evaporation pond used by gas‑industry operations. The planning commission, which met Feb. 20, had approved the subdivision 5‑0 with a condition to add five feet of utility easement on each side of an existing 30‑foot access easement to protect utility placement and avoid fences encroaching on the access corridor.

After the planning commission vote, county staff said the parties (developer and adjacent landowner) continued the discussion and reached agreement that a 30‑foot easement without the added five‑foot utility strips would suffice. Based on those follow‑ups, staff recommended approval without the earlier condition. The commission adopted the subdivision and the rezoning by motion and roll call; resolutions were recorded as part of the meeting record.

The rezoning request reclassifies the two residential parcels to rural residential and the parcel around the evaporation pond to industrial to reflect the existing oil‑and‑gas operational use. Staff noted the approach avoids a “spot zone” concern because the change aligns with current physical conditions and the developer’s intended uses.

County staff and the developer confirmed the access easement as depicted on the final plat will serve the three lots; the easement is not being dedicated as a county road and will remain a private access dedication concurrent with the recorded plat.