The Fremont County Commissioners gave final approval to a Special Review Use Permit for an off-road recreation area at their June 14th meeting, while making one minor change to the conditions placed on that permit.
The SRU allows a freestyle training area for motocross dirt bikes and ATVs on property owned by Steve and Lynette Harris at the northwest corner of County Road 123 and Phantom Canyon Road. During preliminary approval in May, the commissioners placed hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. On Tuesday, those hours were changed to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earliest, to better reflect the board’s original intentions. The permit does not allow riding during evening or nighttime hours.
The resolution adopting the SRU was approved unanimously by Chairman Pro Tem Mike Stiehl and Commissioner Debbie Bell. Chairman Ed Norden missed the meeting to attend an update on the Duckett Fire, which started Sunday, June 12th in Custer County but threatened a nearby residential subdivision in Fremont County.
Fremont County Emergency Manager Steve Morrisey reported the county evacuated the Eagle Peak subdivision because of the danger from the Duckett Fire. He also said a Type 2 Emergency Management Team had taken control of managing the fire, which had grown to more than 1,800 acres at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning. Air support for the fire is based at the Fremont County Airport.
Commissioner Bell announced that Sheriff Jim Beicker moved the county into a Stage 3 fire ban, the most restrictive of all, on Monday, June 13th. The ban prohibits all open flames and fires, regardless of location or source, including outdoor smoking. She asked the public to pay particular attention and obey the ban. Commissioner Stiehl said the county is concerned about fire hazards now because dry, windy conditions create immense fire potential. In addition, many firefighting resources are committed elsewhere, meaning a fire could rapidly spread while the county waited for firefighting manpower.
Also at the June 14th meeting the commissioners:
- Approved a modification of premises for Cat’s Corner at 411 Broadway in Penrose;
- Heard a Sales and Use Tax Collections report from County Manager George Sugars. While both Retail Sales Tax and Auto Use Tax are higher year to date than 2010, Construction Use Tax dropped. Overall, the county’s Sales and Use Tax collections are down 4.64 percent from 2010, but the decrease was forecast during the budgeting process and the current numbers are within one-third of 1 percent of the budgeted numbers.