Please be advised of the following City proposed zoning code changes and what they mean for every property owner in Lander:
What is proposed:
R-1 District • Allow short-term rentals as a conditional use following public hearing
R-2 District • Allow multi-family dwellings up to 4 units • Reduced minimum lot size • Reduced off-street parking requirements • Allow cottage-style housing up to 16 units • Allow one Accessory Dwelling Unit • Allow short-term rentals as a conditional use
R-3, R-5 and R-MED District • Wider range of housing types • Reduced minimum lot size • Reduced off- street parking requirements • Allow cottage-style housing up to 16 units • Accessory Dwelling Units up to three units • Allow short-term rentals as a conditional • Allow cottage-style housing •
Allow Accessory Dwelling Units
These changes will dramatically impact your neighborhoods, your property values, your quality of life, and the entire nature of life in Lander.
Here’s how:
PROPERTY VALUES:
Zoning has always been intended to protect your investment as a homeowner. This proposal removes that protection, making all Lander zones subject to becoming multi-family use with density encouraged to squeeze more people within the town’s existing footprint. The City has shown little concern for how this may substantially reduce current homeowner’s property values & enjoyment of the property purchased with protective zoning.
SAFETY/INFRASTRUCTURE:
Fire hazards, lack of building regulation, pedestrian and vehicle safety, increased traffic, difficulty of snow and trash removal, more vehicles parked on streets and insufficient water/sewer line capacity due to increased dwellings are expected. The City is NOT requiring home-conversion apartments be built professionally, inspected or brought to building code.
QUALITY OF LIFE:
The City is proposing to reduce minimum lot size as small as 2,500 sq ft. This is 1/3 of the average size City lot that is currently 7,500 sq ft. This will increase noise levels, reduce privacy, increase traffic issues, increase the feeling of neighborhood congestion and reduce yard space. This limits ability to have a pet, backyard gardens, chickens or enjoy the Wyoming lifestyle.
PARKING:
The plan assumes families do not park more than 1 vehicle on their property. Our streets will have more parked campers, trailers, work trucks & personal vehicles. The City will plow snow around those parked vehicles. Where sidewalks are missing pedestrians will need to walk in the street, around the cars, and expose themselves to traffic.
This reduces safety for all pedestrians, particularly kids walking or biking to school, and every public school is in proposed density zones.
CHARACTER/INTEGRITY OF COMMUNITY:
Less green space, lack of architectural cohesiveness in existing neighborhoods, elimination of single or 2-family residences in most of our town, lack of open roadways, increased pollution and crowded streets are expected.
Citizens should beware of changes in all zones and how this will potentially negatively impact them and their homes/neighborhoods. At the very minimum, Zones R1 and R2 should remain exactly as they currently are, with no changes. Preserve neighborhoods in town designed for low density living and single homes and/or duplexes.
To date meetings have been limited to 25 with people turned away at the door and Zoom transmission has been generally inaudible.
Proposed changes are based on findings from Colorado and Oregon consulting firms and their non-scientific Facebook-based survey. Some members of the Planning Commission may have conflicts of interest, and the majority of the members do not live within Lander city limits.
It’s easy to make rules that affect other people.
What’s the hurry?
Citizens deserve more time, more information, and more public hearings before the Council makes permanent this overhaul to the zoning that has potential to be seismic to the landscape and character of Lander.
Please attend the City Council work session regarding these changes on:
This Tuesday, September 1, at 6pm at the Lander Community Center, and the final hearing/vote is scheduled on Tuesday, September 8, at 6pm at the Lander Community Center.
Voice your concerns and opposition and ask questions of your City Council members before these changes are passed, irreversibly changing and impacting Lander’s landscape, nature, and character.
Your voice needs to be heard now.
For more information please contact the City of Lander.
*Paid for by Concerned Lander Citizens*
