City Discusses New Landscape Ordinance

In developments, landscaping often ranks as one of the last things developers worry about before their buildings open.

As a result, in the haste to move businesses in, some developers allow planting trees, grasses and shrubs to fall by the way side.

The planning department in Casper, Wyo., created an ordinance change designed to help developers stay on track.

The first possible alteration would create a mandatory bond for developers to post if their landscaping is not finished by the time they request a certificate of occupancy. A developer would then have six months to install the required landscaping, and if it's not done, the city keeps the bond and completes the necessary changes.

Additionally, if the commercial site is simply not conducive to landscaping, the developer could pay a fee to the city and the money would be used to improve public spaces.

Community Development Director April Getchius said working with people to comply to landscaping regulations is sometimes a struggle.

She also wants to give developers the opportunity to not fight with landscaping in areas where it doesn't make sense. By contributing to a fund for improving public spaces, however, the developer would still help beautify Casper.

Local developer Rich Fairservis doesn't want to see the city "fee and bond people to death," but at the same time he recognizes the need to ensure people complete their landscaping requirements.

"If they are going to do it at the certificate of occupancy, then they need to follow up and ensure that the landscape requirements are completed before the bond is released," Fairservis said.

Casper City Council member Paul Bertoglio questioned some of the items in the changes.

"I know that staff is working diligently with developers, so we will see where they go with it," he said. "But we are pushing a lot of stuff through really quickly. There are things that while they look well on paper, the practical applications won't work."

The next time the council looks at the ordinance Bertoglio hopes to see pictures of some of the potential changes -- such as where landscaping is required in certain areas -- to better understand how they would look when implemented.

Other council members, including Kate Sarosy, think the ordinance changes are "workable." Some parts may need to be tweaked, she said, but overall the changes could work.

"Landscape is good in my opinion and green is good," she said. "The developers and so on will find some things they have concerns about, and I want to hear what those are. At the moment, I think it's well done."

The ordinance changes will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission before going back to the council for three required approvals.