Residents press Casper council over drive‑through congestion; city says signage and striping under way

Residents and business owners told the Casper City Council on March 17 that traffic from the newly opened Stirrup Soda drive‑through has blocked driveways, created safety and access problems and harmed property values.

"There has always been harmony on Kennewood between business and residents. Since the opening of Stirrup's that has forever changed," said Dan State, a chiropractor who said the queue often blocks his clinic’s driveway and that staff and elderly patients face difficulty entering and exiting. "Is this being considered? Did the city or Planning and Zoning approve that as well?"

Several neighbors described idling cars extending the length of a residential block during the shop’s operating hours (about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), using U‑turns in front of homes and occasionally creating hostile interactions when residents ask drivers to move. Laurie Warmus, who said she has run a business on East 2nd Street for nearly 28 years, said the situation has been "insanity" and that she brought photos documenting blocked drives.

Vice Mayor Gamroth said city crews had been on site, that temporary signage was installed the week of March 10 and that staff planned to add striping for a center turn lane if engineering measurements show it complies with standards. "It doesn't sound like it's gonna be a silver‑bullet solution, but hopefully it does provide a little bit of relief in that area," the vice mayor said.

City Manager Janine Jordan confirmed that municipal code did not require a site plan or traffic study for the change of occupant because there was no zoning change, and that the engineering and streets divisions had been observing on‑site conditions and coordinating possible mitigations. "Staff are working on‑site with this business to try to mitigate as best we can the conflicts that we're seeing with traffic there," she said, adding that staff use the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as a standard.

Council members urged continued reporting from residents and said they would consider whether development rules for drive‑throughs merit revision to require off‑street queuing or additional review. Several councilors also encouraged patience in the short term, noting traffic often eases as a new business settles into regular hours and operation.

The council did not take formal legislative action on the matter at the meeting but adopted a plan for staff to continue on‑site mitigation, install approved signage, and evaluate striping and other measures; residents were asked to provide photos and ongoing feedback to staff and their councilors.

Supporters of the business urged accommodation and noted the owner had offered some operational suggestions; councilors said they welcomed realistic, implementable solutions from both residents and the business.

The city manager asked constituents to forward complaints or evidence to the city manager's office so staff can track and respond to patterns. Councilors noted that code changes to require site plans or traffic analyses for similar future developments could be considered in a work session.