Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ice Arena Expansion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning and Zoning Commission approves Casper Ice Arena expansion plan, forwards to council
Summary
The commission unanimously approved a site plan to add a second sheet of ice at the Casper Ice Arena, endorsing staff conditions and forwarding the project to City Council for final approval, with council review targeted for July 21.
The City of Casper Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a site plan for an expansion of the Casper Ice Arena that would add a second sheet of ice, sending the project to the City Council for final approval.
Aleema Lopez, director of parks and recreation public facilities for the City of Casper, told the commission the application “is for the construction of an expansion to our Casper Ice Arena to house a 2nd sheet that will be utilized by Casper Youth primarily, as well as all ice sport lovers throughout the community and the region.” Staff earlier reported the revised plans and a traffic impact analysis addressed prior concerns about pedestrian connectivity, traffic circulation and emergency access.
The proposed addition was described in the hearing as roughly a 44,590-square-foot expansion at 1801 East 4th Street; staff summarized it as a “44,000 plus square foot” addition and recommended approval with three conditions: final engineering plan approval by the city engineer before permits; review and approval of final traffic control and circulation improvements prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy; and final approval of emergency access measures by the fire department.
Supporters told the commission the project would benefit youth sports and bring economic activity. Peter Wold, who identified himself as long-time youth-hockey volunteer, said, “This has been a dream to get a 2nd sheet of ice for a long, long time,” and predicted tournaments would bring financial returns to the city. Travis St. John, president of the Casper Amateur Hockey Club, described eight years of work toward the project and urged the commission to approve it for the benefit of the community and state.
A commissioner moved to approve the site plan with the staff conditions; with all members present voting aye, the motion carried. Staff told the commission the project will go to City Council for final approval, with a target council hearing on July 21.
The commission’s decision authorizes the site plan subject to the listed conditions; final financing, development agreements and any tax or incentive decisions will be determined later by the City Council and other review bodies.
