Natrona County OKs returning part of Grass Creek Road to private control, reserves emergency-access easement

The Natrona County Board of County Commissioners voted to change the status of a 20‑foot segment of Grass Creek Road along the border between Vista West 1 and Vista West 3 from public to private, while reserving a perpetual county easement for emergency ingress and egress to be activated by an authorized county official.

The decision followed a contested public hearing in which Vista West 1 homeowners said routine through‑traffic, dust and off‑road vehicles were harming their neighborhood and asked to regain local control. "We just want our roads back so that we have a little bit of control over the public going in and out of our subdivision," said Bob Docter, president of the Vista West 1 homeowners association. Docter said residents would be willing to install a gate and cooperate with emergency‑access protocols.

Residents of Vista West 3 and other nearby property owners urged the commission to preserve the public access, noting the road has been used to provide a second ingress/egress for emergency responders. "When emergencies happen, every second matters," said Marv Robinson, who said Vista West 3 relies on legal access across Grass Creek Road for compliance with county subdivision rules and for evacuation routes.

Fire Chief Brian Oliver told the commission that he would accept a configuration that limited public traffic but preserved a locked gate with emergency‑department access. "We can put a gate across that road… but that would still leave us an access point to get into the subdivision if the access off 6Wn Road was closed," he said.

County legal staff confirmed the county had records showing the roads had been dedicated for public use in 1995, but also noted that statutes allow the county to alter or vacate public interests in roads when appropriate. Commissioners debated the balance between longtime public use and neighborhood control before approving a motion by Commissioner Nickolaisen to vacate the road interest, provided the county retain a perpetual easement of appropriate width for emergency access as determined by an authorized county official. The motion was seconded and carried.

Commissioners said the easement will be defined in follow‑up paperwork with the county emergency management and fire district to ensure gates and signage meet fire‑department access requirements. The motion did not include specific roll‑call tallies in the meeting minutes; the board's resolution and recorded order will memorialize the easement language and any deed transfers to adjacent landowners or HOA entities.

The commission instructed staff to draft the formal documents specifying the easement width and gate/lock protocols and to return them for recording and final administrative steps.