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Commission backs recreational cabin permits for Casper Mountain applicants, noting building-code and health-department conditions
Summary
The commission recommended that the BOCC consider conditional use permit CU26-03 to allow two recreational outbuildings on Casper Mountain. Applicants said cabins will be non-dwelling, roughly 500 sq ft, served by generator/battery power and hauled water, and not rented; staff and applicants have coordinated with the health department.
The Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners consider conditional use permit 26-03, an application for two recreational outbuildings on Casper Mountain (CU26-03).
Natrona County planning director Sabrina Kemper told the commission the MR2 mountain-residential zoning and the 2022 Casper Mountain land-use plan permit non-dwelling accessory structures that allow owners to sleep in them seasonally but not reside there permanently. Staff said the proposed cabins are approximately 500 square feet and thus qualify as outbuildings rather than dwelling units under the International Residential Code; the health department and applicant have been coordinating about future plans for water and wastewater.
Applicant Lucas Good described the cabins as personal recreational outposts with concrete-pier-and-beam foundations, generator-and-battery electrical support and no intention to rent or occupy year-round: “Personal recreational only is and has been our plan from the beginning,” he said. He added that the structures would meet building codes and be engineered for local snow loads.
No public opposition was recorded during the hearing for this item; several family members and neighbors spoke in support. Commissioners asked technical questions about square-foot thresholds and permitting; staff explained the permitting path for any future change in use.
The commission voted unanimously to forward a due-pass recommendation to the BOCC, with staff’s findings incorporated by reference. The applicants and staff will continue to coordinate with the health department on water/wastewater requirements before BOCC consideration.
Why it matters: The decision clarifies how new accessory recreational structures will be treated under the county’s MR2 zone and the IRC, and establishes that the county’s health department must sign off on water/wastewater arrangements before permanent changes are made.
Next steps: The BOCC will review the commission’s recommendation; building permits and site-specific plans will be required before construction.
