Laramie County approves Reco Ranch subdivision after debate over road dedication and standards

Laramie County commissioners voted to approve a subdivision permit and plat for Reco (Recco) Ranch, allowing roughly 83 acres to be divided into 14 residential lots of about 6 acres each, while attaching three staff-recommended conditions including a pending non-adverse DEQ chapter 23 recommendation prior to plat recordation.

The applicant, Shane Hansen of Style Surveying Services, told the board he and the owner accept most conditions but asked the county to waive construction of a 20-foot portion of an existing recorded access easement, saying that adding that section would require roughly $800,000 of additional road work. "Adding that on and making us build that out ... is getting a little bit outrageous with the price," Hansen said.

Commissioner Thompson pressed staff and the applicant on whether the access easement is dedicated to the public or remains private and on how far the county should require road construction. Justin Arnold, Laramie County Planning, told the commission that an access easement can be recorded "open to the public" but that formal public dedication would require a separate acceptance process under Title 24. County Attorney Mark Voss confirmed that landowners outside the plat would need to agree to a dedication unless the board proceeds through the statutory process.

After discussion, Thompson moved to amend conditions 2 and 3 to specify that "county standards" for the required road build-out would mean the proposed local county road standard (a 24-foot width) rather than the existing 30-foot standard. The amendment passed on roll call and the commission then approved the main motion to adopt the staff findings and grant the subdivision permit and plat with the amended conditions.

Staff noted a non-adverse recommendation from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality under chapter 23 remains outstanding and is required before the plat can be recorded. The board’s conditions also require the developer to construct Railway Lane from Railroad Road to the northern exempt subdivision access to county standard, and to build internal roads shown on the plat to county standards (as amended to the proposed 24-foot specification). The staff report also flagged the record reference for the private access easement (book 2,421 page 1,003).

The county’s action preserves the applicant’s ability to seek future dedication or title‑24 road establishment if owners choose to pursue that route; commissioners noted that the easement status and future sales could change the calculus for public access. The motion and amendment were recorded by roll call and carried with all commissioners voting in the affirmative.