PLAN PARK COUNTY - FROM LAND USE PLAN TO REGULATIONS
The “Plan Park County” logo and slogan were created as part of the process to update the 1998 Land Use Plan (see explanation below) and will continue to be used through the process of updating the County’s Development Standards and Regulations. In March of 2024, the Board of County Commissioners contracted with a consulting firm, Logan Simpson, to embark on the regulation amendments process. Similar to the Land Use Plan update effort, the County will offer numerous opportunities for members of the public to help us plan “Our County” and “Our Future.”
WHY DID WE UPDATE THE 1998 LAND USE PLAN?
The Board is charged with governing Park County in the best interests of all citizens by protecting their health, safety and general welfare, as well as the County’s economic base and the natural environment. In 1978, the Board adopted a planning document entitled “Park County Land Use Planning” to satisfy state law enacted in 1975 requiring all counties to adopt land-use plans. In the 20 years that followed, the population grew, and the political, economic, legal and planning environments changed significantly in the County, leading to the need for an updated plan. On September 15, 1998, the Board adopted the Park County Land Use Plan (1998 LUP).
Park County Land Use Plan 101 (September 2022)
What is a Land Use Plan? Why should I care? This simple flyer should help to answer those questions and more!
The countywide vision of the 1998 LUP was “Maximize our Resources and Conserve our Heritage.” The intent of the 1998 LUP was to project future land use over the 15 years that followed the plan’s development with review and updates to the plan anticipated every five years. Unfortunately, due to budgetary and other resource constraints, the 1998 LUP has not been officially reviewed or updated since its inception.
Development pressures prompted a serious effort to finally embark on a journey to update the Land Use Plan. On September 7, 2021, the Park County Board of Commissioners approved the release of a Request for Proposals for the development of an updated Land Use Plan. As part of the effort, the County engaged the public in each of the twelve (12) planning areas (shown below, doesn’t include Yellowstone N.P.) through a variety of means to collect feedback and recommendations. On March 18, 2024, the Board adopted the 2024 Park County Land Use Plan with the intent of following the process immediately with updates to the County’s Development Standards and Regulations.
