The Natrona County Planning & Zoning Commission on Dec. 9 recommended approval of VC 25-04, a variance requested by Dooley Oil to reduce the heavy-industrial setback from public road standards. The applicant seeks to construct a 60-by-120-foot dry storage building set 10 feet from the property line adjacent to Old Glenrock Highway rather than the 60-foot setback required from federal/state/county roads in the county zoning resolution.

Planning staff said the lot is 2.82 acres, zoned Heavy Industrial, and that the proposed building would sit approximately 35 feet from the edge of the roadway and about 43 feet from the roadway centerline. Staff reported that WYDOT typically defers to local setback rules in this context, County Road & Bridge raised sight-distance questions but no prohibitive objections were recorded, and County Fire had no comments; staff concluded the variance criteria (items 1'7 in the packet) were met and recommended approval to the BOCC without additional conditions.

Donna Bridal, general manager for Dooley Oil, outlined operational constraints: pipeline easements to the east (Magellan Pipeline), a Burlington Northern railroad easement to the north, power lines and neighboring facilities that limit buildable area on the lot, and the company's need for additional dry storage for palletized goods and floor-dry supplies. Bridal said the proposed location is the only viable area to build without pushing the structure under power lines or into pipeline/right-of-way areas. She told the commission the proposed storage will not include hazardous materials; she said the company will update its SPCC plan and comply with EPA oversight as required.

Commissioners asked about traffic flow, sight distance and the presence of hazardous materials. Speakers noted that many neighboring buildings sit similarly close to the highway and that the applicant's traffic pattern would allow drivers to pull up and see both directions. Commissioners expressed some concern about what might be stored in the new building but accepted the applicant's statement that hazardous materials would not be stored there and that EPA/SPCC compliance would be updated and monitored.

A motion to approve VC 25-04 under the standards of the 2022 Natrona County zoning resolution passed on a voice vote; the commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final consideration.

The BOCC hearing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026. The P&Z recommended approval based on staff findings and testimony establishing the lot's unique site constraints.