Planning board backs C‑2 rezoning for proposed eco‑resort but requires use agreement

Applicants Jenny Peterson and Greg Wyatt asked the commission to rezone a portion of a large ranch to C‑2 to permit a low‑visibility, low‑rise eco‑resort (60 units) and ancillary uses. Peterson described prior hospitality experience and a track record of small, year‑round operations; Wyatt described site layout and said the development footprint would be small relative to the total acreage under contract.

The applicants said they expect the operation to create roughly 150 full‑time jobs and emphasized dark‑sky design and low visual impact. "We would allow recreation, cycling, some dining... and we're committed to maintaining opportunities for middle‑income families to access the property at a discounted rate," an applicant representative said. Commissioners probed water sourcing, road access (private easement vs county road), and whether a broad C‑2 designation could later be used for higher‑impact industrial or data uses. Several residents and the property owner (Chris Evers) spoke in favor of careful, low‑impact development, while others urged the commission to limit allowable future uses.

Given the scale of the acreage that would be eligible for C‑2 if approved, commissioners and county counsel discussed contractual protections. The applicants said they were willing to accept a development/use agreement and proposed a timeline for producing a uses list; commissioners adopted a recommendation to the county commission that conditions approval on an applicant‑provided use agreement that restricts commercial uses to those consistent with the presentation. The motion to forward the rezoning recommendation under ordinance O‑2026‑04 passed.