Wyoming council approves Pine Haven Farms conditional-use permit with paving, attendance conditions

The Wyoming City Council on Sept. 2 approved a conditional-use permit for Pine Haven Farms’ Haunted Hayride at 28186 Kettle River Boulevard, but attached several conditions intended to limit neighborhood impacts and improve emergency access.

City planner Miss Linquist summarized staff findings that the farm’s seasonal events generate traffic volumes well above typical gravel-road use and that neighbors have repeatedly raised concerns about queuing, dust and access. She told the council the planning commission recommended approval with the conditions included in the packet. “The planning commission did recommend approval with the conditions that are in the packet you received,” Miss Linquist said.

Why it matters: Council and staff framed the vote around public safety and neighborhood quality of life. Planners recommended an on-site traffic operational plan and an independent traffic study during the 2025 operating season to measure peak and overlapping trip patterns. Staff also highlighted the absence of a practical secondary access to the site, which concentrates all event traffic on the public section of Kettle River Boulevard.

Key conditions and requirements: The CUP approved by the council requires a detailed traffic management plan, implementation of traffic-control measures at the Kettle River Boulevard / East Viking Boulevard intersection, limits on walk-up sales and staging changes to reduce roadside queuing, and a temporary cap on attendance tied to the results of the 2025 traffic study and the completion of specified mitigation steps. The council also adopted staff’s requirement that the applicant fund paving of the public segment of Kettle River Boulevard (staff provided an estimated cost range), with a completion deadline tied to the CUP conditions.

Applicant and business concerns: Applicant representative Mr. Hastings said the business has grown substantially and expressed concern about assigning full paving costs to a family-run operation. “Saddling Pine Haven with the entire burden of paying Kettle River Boulevard, I don’t think it’s reasonable,” he told the council, urging the city to pursue state-level funding and to allow time to pursue external grants or other funding sources. The applicant also said time-ticketing and other operational strategies already reduce extreme peak congestion, but acknowledged the need for measurable improvements.

Staff and council rationale: Staff and the city engineer described traffic estimates showing thousands of vehicle trips on peak days that, they said, exceed typical thresholds for gravel roads and justify pavement to protect adjacent residents and public works resources. The city engineer noted uncertainty about subgrade conditions and offered a high-level estimated cost range for paving based on assumptions; staff emphasized that exact pricing requires engineering and bidding. Council members repeatedly cited both the cost pressure on nearby homeowners if assessed for local improvements and the intensive use the events impose on public works during the fall season.

Public safety: The police chief and public-safety speakers said the site has on-site security and that the city sometimes provides an officer during the busiest nights, with additional mutual-aid assistance available from neighboring agencies when necessary. Council members raised concerns about emergency access and potential delays when the road is backed up.

Vote and next steps: Council members moved and seconded approval of Resolution 25989 with the conditions in the staff packet. One council member stated opposition in the recorded roll-call moment, but the motion passed and the council approved the CUP. The CUP allows the applicant to request an amendment if the applicant later demonstrates improved traffic performance or completes required improvements; staff noted amendment requests carry application costs and may require a future public hearing. The applicant and staff said they will implement several traffic-control steps for the 2025 season and complete the traffic study to support any later request for changes to the attendance cap.

The council instructed staff to monitor compliance and provided a timeline for the traffic study and other deliverables. The applicant said it will pursue funding options and can return to the council to request amendment of the CUP once the conditions are met.