Natrona planning commission tables Allenale replat after neighbors raise drainage and private-road concerns

The Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission on May 12 tabled consideration of MS26-01, a request by Mark and Missy Van Horn to vacate and replat roughly 10.65 acres in the Allenale Addition into four parcels, until its June 9 meeting so staff can research prior replats and clarify rights-of-way and drainage issues.

The applicants told commissioners the intent is to consolidate 46 existing small lots into four larger parcels to reduce density and allow more practical residential placement. "Our intention is not to increase density or create additional impact on the surrounding neighborhood," Mark Van Horn said, asking the commission to consider the proposal as a way to manage long-term land use.

Multiple neighbors urged denial or further study. "When they started moving dirt around here, they elevated this by close to four feet higher than it was before," said Kyle Sowell, a nearby homeowner, arguing that grading and blocked drainage could flood adjacent properties and his home’s crawlspace. Elden Young, who filed a formal protest, said about 75% of the replat lies on a natural drainage draw and that the proposal lacks a best-management mitigation plan.

Residents also raised compatibility and safety concerns if the replat were used for commercial storage: noise, 24‑hour lighting and perceived crime risks. "I've seen methamphetamine labs inside storage units," said Robert Grant, citing national law-enforcement trends he has reviewed, and warning that a storage operation could introduce new criminal activity and light pollution to the neighborhood.

Staff confirmed utility and agency comments in the packet: the applicant intends to connect to City of Casper water and sewer; Road & Bridge raised initial ingress/egress concerns that staff said were mitigated by applicant discussion; the county health and fire offices reported no objections conditioned on proper sewer connections. Planning staff told the commission that the filing is a preliminary plat and that conditions (including requiring a drainage study) can be added to any final-plat approval.

County Attorney Ashley Smith summarized a separate legal complication: a 1921 plat for parts of Allenale was recorded but does not contain language dedicating platted roads to the public. "We cannot vacate something that we have no authority to vacate," Smith said, explaining why an earlier alleyway vacation had been denied. That lack of dedication means some right-of-way and access questions must be resolved before the commission issues a final recommendation.

Applicants and their surveyor said fences and lot lines in Allenale are inconsistent and that replatting can be a tool to clean up legacy property-line issues. The Van Horns' consultant said any roads installed as part of development would be required to meet county standards and that a future site plan for a storage facility would trigger additional drainage and lighting review.

After extended public comment and discussion of precedent (previous replats in 2009 and 2016 were noted), a commissioner moved to table the item to allow staff to research the earlier cases and evaluate dedication and drainage questions. The motion was seconded and carried; the commission set MS26-01 for further consideration at its June 9, 2026 meeting.

What happens next: staff said it will review prior replat decisions and provide recommendations and that, if the Van Horns pursue development, the final plat and any later site-plan review would include explicit drainage, access and lighting requirements.

The meeting continued with the commission taking up the second agenda item.