Citizens Of Lander And Property Owners

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.