* Recommend denial of the application to the Board of County Commissioners. In these cases the
Planning and Zoning Commission specifies the reasons for its action. With the applicant's express
permission, the Commission may table the application indefinitely or dismiss the application.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The Board of County Commissioners is a five-member elected board, representing the citizens of Natrona
County and setting forth the policies of the Natrona County government. The Board of County
Commissioners holds a public hearing on the variance application, considers the report from the County
Development Department and action of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and receives public
testimony regarding the application. After considering this information, the Board of County Commissioners
takes the following action:
* Approve the application as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission,
* Approve the application as submitted,
* Approve the application on its own conditions
* Deny the application,
* Remand the application to the Planning and Zoning Commission for reconsideration, or
* Table the application to a date specific. With the express consent of the applicant, the Commission
may table the application indefinitely or dismiss the application.
GUIDELINES FOR REVIEW
When acting upon variances, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of County
Commissioners shall be guided by the Intent and Purpose, and Goals and Policies provisions of the Zoning
Resolution. In addition, the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of County Commissioners shall
require showings concerning all of the following:
1) The owner of record and the contract purchaser has signed the application.
2) There are exceptional or extraordinary circumstances and conditions applicable to the property
involved and literal application of this Resolution to the applicant's property will result in
"unnecessary hardship".
3) The hardship is due to unique circumstances. (This proof is considered crucial to the validity of the
variance because it insures that the Board does not rezone the area under the guise of the variance
procedure. Since the purpose of a variance is to bring the applicant into substantial parity with other
landowners in the same zone, the applicant has the burden of demonstrating that the difficulties
facing him are different from those of his neighbors.)
4) The variance will not authorize a use other than those uses specifically listed as permitted or
conditional uses in the zoning district in which the variance is sought.
5) The variance will not result in a gain in use, service or income for the applicant to a greater extent than
available to other landowners in the vicinity.
6) Granting the variance will not merely serve as a convenience for the applicant but is necessary to
alleviate a proven hardship.
7) Granting the variance will not impair the use of adjacent property or alter the characteristic of the
neighborhood.
8) Granting the variance will not detrimentally affect the public health, safety and welfare or nullify the
intent and purpose of the Land Use Plan or this Resolution.
Rev. 9/30/2008