CASPER — Natrona County continues to use a private road to access a construction project while officials behind the scenes work to legally take County Road 505 from any private landowners along it.
Natrona commissioners are moving forward to establish ownership the road that runs to the top of Casper Mountain and is used by local landowners as well as the others to access public lands.
A Natrona County judge last week denied a county request for a preliminary injunction against Woodbury Land and Livestock, LLC, and Walt and Stephanie Woodbury and their efforts to limit access to the road because of trespassing, littering, and other issues on their ranch parcels touched by the road.
The Woodburys had threatened to block the road, but so far it remains open.
Their attorney, John Masterson, did not immediately respond a request for comment.
Taking The High Road
Commission Chairman Peter Nicolaysen said Tuesday that the legal process to claim the 13.5-mile County Road 505, also known as Circle Drive, through what legally is referred to as prescription or adverse possession continues.
“We are looking into old records, but there is a statutory process, and we are moving forward with that,” he said.
Under the process the county has to conduct a survey and plat of the road, file it and then publish a notice of the county’s intent to establish the road.
A deadline would be set for any objections from those who have an interest in the lands on which the road accesses. A public hearing date would follow.
Concerns related to any road closure involve public safety as well as road construction projects underway on both Casper Mountain and Muddy Mountain. A county lodge also is under construction on Casper Mountain. Semitrucks use County Road 505 to deliver materials.
Nicolaysen said the County Road 505 situation has brought interest in reviewing other county roads to ensure there are no other potential issues with roads the county thinks it owns but may not.
“This commission hasn’t spent any time on that, but I think that we are going to try and be vigilant,” Nicolaysen said. “If there are I’s to dot and T’s to cross, I think the commission has a desire to do that for the public to preserve those roads that everybody enjoys as county roads.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
