Neighbors oppose rezoning at 1019 Coburn Avenue

The City of Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission met on Monday, June 12, to discuss a zone change at 1019 Coburn Avenue from a central business to medium high density residential district.

David Kissner, the owner of the property, requested the change be made to allow his family to live in the building without having to physically separate their living quarters from the “business” portion of the structure. “Right now, the request has more to do with flexibility,” he said. The Kissners intend to live in the home with two other members of their family and run a nonprofit out of the building eventually. Kissner said the rezoning would be the most cost-effective way for his family to live in the building without having to undergo construction.

BAPC Chairman Scott Fritzler opened the meeting for public discourse, at which point several of Kissner’s neighbors approached to share their concerns. Terry Cook, the owner of the property Verizon is currently housed in, noted that parking and trash removal would be potential problems if the building was rezoned.

“If it becomes multifamily, I don’t think there’s adequate parking there,” she said. “The second concern if it becomes multifamily is garbage collection. There’s one dumpster in my parking lot. There’s no room for a second one.” Cook said the dump truck would have to pick up a dumpster on the other side of the alley if one would fit, requiring a second trip for city workers. Several other neighbors echoed her concerns.

Al Willard added that by rezoning the property as MHDR, future opportunity would arise for multiple families to live in the building and exacerbate parking and waste removal problems.

“What I worry the most about is flexibility. Flexibility could mean that we’ve got 10 families and the parking issues and trash issues,” Willard said. He turned to Kissner. “And so I understand, I would probably be arguing for flexibility if I were in your shoes as well. But the rest of us are worried about living in the neighborhood if the flexibility goes to any extreme.”

After discussion, the board determined there were likely five available street parking spaces for 1019 Coburn, as well as two private off-street parking areas that could house an additional six cars. Due to occupancy limitations, it was estimated four apartments maximum could be built in the building.

Morgan Martinez, another neighbor, suggested the building may not need to be rezoned MHDR, and could instead be low density residential since only the Kissner family would occupy the building. However, this would require spot zoning, which the BAPC wanted to avoid. He explained that he had little concern about parking, as the available spaces seemed to more than fill the family’s needs.

“I think personally, it’s far better having a family there to occupy that building, than the county library with its previous free public Wi-Fi and transient population use,” Martinez said. “I have the house right across the street from it, and at all hours of the night, you’d have traffic coming in and out, guys over there gambling, doing other X-rated things with the free Wi-Fi and stuff that we brought up for the last decade.”

Kissner took a stand for his position, explaining his family had moved to Worland from California in part to escape government overreach that would not allow citizens to use their own property as desired. “Parking is going to be an issue and garbage is going to be an issue whether it’s a business or whether it’s residential,” Kissner said. “Right now, we have no plans to do anything major at all, or really the money to.”

The board went into a closed executive session to discuss the matter, and ultimately decided to approve the zone change on the contingency that Kissner continue to work with his neighbors on parking and garbage issues.

In other business, City Clerk-Treasurer Tracy Glanz reported that Engineering Associates of Thermopolis has been contracted to take over building inspection through Aug. 31 due to an employee’s required health care leave.

The expansion of Washakie County Library will be discussed at the June 26 meeting, or as soon as it can be reviewed by a qualified planner.