Developer presents plans for 30‑lot homesite development near Jeffrey Reservoir; county to prepare approval language

The board held a public hearing on an application by Cedar Bluffs LLC (Joel Walgren and Joe Walgren, with partners Luke and Julie Rickardson) seeking a conditional use permit to create approximately 30 separate, roughly 10‑acre buildable sites on a plateau near Jeffrey Reservoir.

Judy Clark, Lincoln County planning administrator, said the county planning commission unanimously recommended approval on July 8, 2025 (one commissioner abstained because she arrived late). Clark said planning staff has no objections to the proposed project as presented; the application includes a hand‑drawn site plan, a justification statement and preliminary engineering work. Clark told the board that land use permits for individual lots will still be required at time of construction and those permits are not automatically approved by the conditional use permit.

Developer Joe Walgren described extensive access and site work already underway: he and contractors have re‑established a historic access route, widened and shaped a long access incline up the plateau, moved tens of thousands of cubic yards of material, hydroseeded parts of the road, and plan to pave a final segment in October using roller‑compacted concrete. Walgren told commissioners the loop road and buildable pads have been laid out to preserve large common areas; he said an HOA will manage internal roads and maintenance and he does not plan to ask the county to accept the private roads. He said preliminary lot pricing is about $150,000 per lot and he expects many buyers to build homes in the $800,000 range, producing substantial valuation if fully built.

Walgren said the developer will coordinate engineered septic and well locations so lots meet state spacing and health rules, and that an initial loop road has been constructed with crushed concrete; a roller‑compacted concrete paving vendor is scheduled for fall work. He also said three larger off‑lot parcels (roughly 40‑acre tracts) may be offered as “hunting parcels” to adjacent property owners.

Several commissioners praised the project for adding housing supply to the county. Planning staff reiterated that conditional use permits carry a two‑year window during which building activity must commence on individual lots and that land‑use permits remain tied to each future builder’s submitted plans.

Action and next steps: The board closed the hearing and instructed planning staff to prepare written findings of fact and a resolution for the board to sign next week; commissioners signaled support for approval. The planning commission’s resolution and the county comprehensive plan were accepted into the record as exhibits during the hearing.

Why it matters: The project would add market‑rate rural housing that developers say will generate significant assessed value and property tax revenue for Lincoln County while preserving common open space.

What’s next: Planning staff to prepare written findings for formal approval at a future meeting. The applicant will continue engineering and road work under county oversight; individual buyers will still require land‑use and building permits at time of construction.