Planning and Zoning
Simple Subdivision
This is only a guide and is not all inclusive of all requirements and standards for subdivisions. Please see the Park County Development Standards and Regulations for complete information.
General Subdivision Information
Tract of Record: A tract of record is defined as an individual parcel of land, other than land previously platted as a lot in a subdivision, as existed on July 1, 2001, irrespective of ownership, that can be identified by legal description, independent of any other parcel of land, using documents on file in the records of the county clerk and recorder’s office. Each individual tract of record continues to be an individual parcel of land unless the owner of the parcel has joined it with other contiguous parcels by filing the proper documentation with the County Clerk.
Simple Subdivision: The division of a tract of record into not more than two lots, each smaller than 35 acres. An existing subdivision lot may be divided using the simple subdivision process so long as the division creates no more than 2 lots within the existing subdivision or tract of record.
Simple Subdivision Review Process
- Meet with the Planning Office for a pre-application meeting.
- If the lands are within an Irrigation District, the applicant shall contact the applicable Irrigation District pursuant to Chapter III, Section 2-201(H).
- Submit a complete application, including all requirements of Chapter III, Division 2-200, Division 2-300, and Division 2-400.
- The Planning Office will schedule the Sketch Plan review with the Planning & Zoning Commission once all requirements have been completed. Please see the Planning & Zoning web-site for the deadline/meeting calendar.
- The Planning Office will schedule the Final Plat review with the Board of County Commissioners once all final plat requirements and applicable conditions of approval are completed.
Sketch Plan Checklist – Initial Submissions
Application fee payment of $150
U.S.G.S. topographic map 1:24,000 scale
Legible and reproducible 11”x17” Sketch Plan that includes:
- Abbreviated legal description
- Boundaries of the parcel to be subdivided
- Lot layout with approximate dimensions and acreages
- Total acreage of subdivision
- Size and location of any open spaces
- Current County zoning classification
- Existing structures, wells, and septic facilities
- Irrigation facilities and direction of flow where flood irrigation is proposed
- Means of access from the lots to the public road system
- Existing uses of adjoining properties
Conservation District soils review
Proof of ownership (Appendix 7). This will need to include a current title insurance policy, an older title insurance policy plus an endorsement from the issuing title insurance company that reflects the current status of the property, or an older title insurance policy augmented by an attorney’s title opinion or a title opinion by an attorney that reflects the current status of the property.
Any variance requests
Proof that a “Notice of Intent to Subdivide” has been published in a local newspaper in the legal notice section once each week for two (2) weeks within 30 days prior to filing the application. The notice shall include the name of the subdivider, the general location of the land to be subdivided, the number of lots proposed, the size of lots, and the intended uses of the subdivision.
Review and recommendations from the Irrigation District regarding attached water rights and Irrigation District facilities and easements (Section 2-201(H)). Also see “Final Plat Requirements” for State requirements.
Signed and notarized Disclosure Statement including the following:
- Identification of entities responsible for road construction and maintenance including snow removal and drainage facilities;
- Description of the domestic water supply including identification of entities responsible for maintenance of any water supply system(s); statement that wells are required to be registered with the State Engineer;
- Description of sewage disposal methods proposed and permits required; Identification of entities responsible for maintenance of the sewage disposal system(s);
- Statement concerning the existence of subdivision covenants including where copies of the covenants may be obtained; statement that Park County does not enforce private subdivision covenants. Identification of any codes or covenants relating to construction in the subdivision;
- Information on the homeowners association, if applicable, including identification of all of the association’s maintenance responsibilities and how the association is funded;
- Garbage disposal availability;
- Fire protection availability;
- Postal service and mail delivery points;
- School bus stop/pullout locations, where applicable;
- Statement on status of or lack of any water rights in the subdivision including the name of the irrigation district if applicable; statement that subdivision purchasers are not allowed to use water out of any ditch or stream without a water right; statement that disposal of surface water is the lot-owners responsibility until it is returned to a district drain ditch, communal wastewater return or waters of the state;
- Statement regarding availability of service providers for cable TV, telephone, gas and electricity with addresses and phone numbers; Statement indicating which of these services has been extended to the lots in the subdivision;
- Statement if the land is subject to flooding and/or proximity to the floodplain. Any known information concerning landslides, steep slopes, rock falls, high water tables, polluted or non-potable water supply, high voltage lines, high pressure gas lines, danger from fire or explosion or other hazardous features on the property;
- Statement that lot-owners are subject to a noxious weed control plan as required for final subdivision approval.
Small Wastewater Requirement
- Name of all existing publicly supplied domestic water pipelines and taps on adjacent properties
- Written agreement with the public water supply system indicating water will be supplied to the proposed subdivision, where applicable
- At least one percolation test must be performed on a minimum of half the proposed lots. Raw data from those percolation tests must be tabulated and submitted with the application
- The depth to groundwater and/or impervious soils or rocks on at least half the proposed lots by excavating trenches to a depth of at least 10 feet or the first occurrence of saturated soils
- Demonstration that the separation of the base of the proposed drain fields relative to groundwater, impervious soils and/or rock types will meet or exceed the minimum standards established by DEQ
- A map showing lot configurations, surface topographies, and locations of proposed septic systems and domestic water sources for each lot
- A map showing the locations of the percolation tests and their stabilized rates and the location and depth to seasonal high groundwater discovered in the excavated trenches
- Where individual on-lot wells are proposed:
- Analysis of one or more representative water wells in the same formation of the proposed subdivision, not more than ½ mile away. If existing sample results are not available, new representative sample(s) must be collected and analyzed.
- Estimated total number of gallons per day required for the subdivision
- Plans for the mitigation of water right conflicts resulting from the use of water within the proposed subdivision
- If it is determined that DEQ review is required, the proposal shall proceed through major subdivision review.
Subdivisions proposing to use a public water supply system and/or a public sewage treatment system must comply with Section 3-210 (A) and (B) and Section 3-212(A)-(D) of the Regulations. See “Final Plat Requirements”.
The County and the City shall jointly approve any plat of land within 1 mile of the boundaries of any incorporated city or town.
Meeteetse Planning Area: For applications within the Meeteetse Local Planning Area, the Meeteetse Local Planning Area Advisory Committee must review the proposal.
Final Plat Requirements
Seven full size copies of the final plat that conforms to Appendix 3, Appendix 5, and Appendix 6
Final plat supporting documents as listed in Appendix 4
- Covenants and Homeowner’s Association documents, if applicable
- Miscellaneous documentation as required
- Financial Guarantee, if applicable
- Subdivision Improvements Agreement, if applicable
- Endorsement of every person having a security interest in the property – including mortgage holders.
- Certification that all ad valorem taxes have been paid
- Evidence that merchantable title may be conveyed
- Certificate of Dedication for access, if applicable
- Copies of all necessary binding easements
- Warranty Deed to Park County conveying all public lands other than roads shown on the plat, if applicable
- Access permits
- Documentation that all roads conform to minimum standards
- Dedication of the roads on the plat that states whether they are dedicated to the public or for private use
- Review from the Irrigation District
- Evidence that the applicant has complied with Chapter III, Section 2-202, Water Rights (listed below)
- Copy of the completed noxious weed and pest control plan
- Final grading, drainage and erosion control plans
- Final revegetation plan
- Road improvement plans including cross-sections and construction specifications, if applicable
- Closure sheets
If any part of the subdivision lies within one mile of the boundaries of any incorporated city or town, evidence that the final plat has been approved by the applicable city or town.
A letter from the utility companies stating that the capacity exists to serve the subdivision.
A letter from the U.S. Postal Service stating circumstances relevant to mail service.
The subdivision must comply with the design standards set forth in Chapter III, Article 3 except that the applicant need not submit a report to the DEQ regarding domestic water supply and sewage disposal. The applicant need not submit covenants or Homeowners Association Documents unless the developer proposes roads or other common facilities maintained by the lot owners. The subdivision shall not be required to comply with Chapter III, Section 3-209, Utility Standards. See Development Standards and Regulations for complete information and requirements as this brief list is not all inclusive of all possible requirements:
- Subdivisions shall be designed to minimize the alteration of natural landforms, native vegetation and wildlife habitat. Placement of lots and alignment of roads shall respect the existing contours of the land.
- Lots proposed for development shall not be located in hazard areas unless the hazards are eliminated or mitigated.
- There are lot standards as described in Section 3-201, easement standards as described in Section 3-203, and road standards as described in Section 3-204.
- Where a subdivision is within 400 feet of an existing collector or main sewer line connected to a sewage treatment plant or a main sewer line is planned within 2 years from the date of application and the sewage treatment plant operator agrees to serve the development, the development shall connect to the sewer line.
- Where a subdivision is within 400 feet of an existing water main connected to a water treatment plant, or a water main extension is planned within 2 years from the date of application and the operator agrees to serve the subdivision, the subdivision shall connect to the main. The cost of installing all water supply improvements shall be borne by the developer.
- Section 3-216 describes Irrigation Standards.
- Section 3-217 describes Agricultural Impacts.
- Section 3-218 describes requirements for Weed and Pest Control.
- Division 3-400 describes the Subdivision Improvements Agreement.
With respect to any water rights appurtenant to lands to be subdivided, all subdivisions must provide the following:
- Evidence that the subdivider has submitted to the state engineer the documentation necessary to relinquish the water rights and has notified purchasers and the Board of this action; or
- Evidence that the subdivider has submitted to the state engineer the documentation necessary to change the use, place of use or point of diversion to provide for beneficial use of the water rights outside the subdivision; or
- A plan, a copy of which was submitted to and approved by the state engineer prior to the final approval of the subdivision application, for the distribution of the water rights appurtenant to the land to be subdivided. The plan shall specify the distribution of the water to the lots within the subdivision and shall include all appropriate applications for change of use, change of place of use or change in point of diversion or means of conveyance in accordance with W.S. 41-3-103, 41-3-104 or 41-3-114; and
- If the subdivision is served by an unorganized ditch, irrigation company or association, evidence shall be provided that the plan has been submitted to the district board company, or association, or the remaining appropriators in the case of an unorganized ditch for their review and recommendations. If the subdivision is located within the boundaries of an Irrigation District, the applicant shall provide evidence that the Irrigation District has been contacted regarding the development pursuant to Section 2-201(H); and
- Evidence that the subdivider will specifically state on all offers and solicitations relative to the subdivision his intent to comply with this Section and that the seller does not warrant to a purchaser that he shall have any rights to the natural flow of any stream within or adjacent to the proposed subdivision. He shall further state that the Wyoming law does not recognize any riparian rights to the continued natural flow of a stream or river for persons living on the banks of the stream or river.
- The above information must be provided by the applicant prior to approval of a final plat for all subdivisions. For simple subdivisions, the plan required in number three (3) above may be a part of the required improvements of the subdivision described in a subdivision improvements agreement. A financial surety of $2,000 per lot shall be part of the required Costs of Improvements and will not be released until the Planning Office is provided with evidence of the state engineer’s approval or of an intent to abandon. See also Chapter III, Section 3-216.
Revised November 2008