Your Question:

Concerning protection of the Casper Aquifer, how did a vehicle oil change/car wash business and a large apartment complex get building permits especially considering their proximity to both the aquifer and city water supply facilities?

The City's Response:

The oil-change/car-wash property obtained building permits and was under construction prior to adoption of the current Aquifer Protection Zone boundary. The property is outside the old Aquifer boundary (and in fact is right on the edge of the new boundary.) Thus, the business is “grandfathered” and may continue to operate as it does today. However, any new building permits will remove this grandfathering, and aquifer-protection regulations will apply.

Regarding the apartment development, the land east of Ivinson Hospital, past the City water tanks and southeast of the Willett Drive dead-end, is owned by Campus Crest LLC.  Campus Crest is a nationwide private developer and manager of college student housing. They recently received approval to build a 224-unit apartment complex on part of the property (about 20 acres).  As part of the development approval the owners  dedicated approximately 14 acres to the City as City Open Space (around 40% of the total) to create a buffer adjacent to the Spring Creek channel and for construction of a new public trail near the creek for eventual connection to the City’s Greenbelt network, linking to a second trail along the south side of Willett Street.

Because the property is located within the Casper Aquifer Protection Overlay District, city ordinance requires the developer to complete a Site Specific Investigation, which evaluates potential development impacts to the  aquifer.  All Site Specific Investigations are required to be completed by a qualified professional (Engineer, Geologist, Hydrologist, etc.) and are reviewed by another qualified professional determined by the City.  For this project, all requirements of the Site Specific Investigation have been met or exceeded, with the 14 acre trail way providing a buffer to the Spring Creek Channel, which was identified as a vulnerable feature through the Site Specific Investigation.

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