Work together toward redevelopment

by Dale Bohren and Michael Moore
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 1:33 PM MST

The Casper City Council and the City staff are to be commended for their firm grasps on the idea that infill, or reusing land and buildings that become available in the city limits over time, is a valuable endeavor as Casper grows. The concept applies to schools, refineries and business locations, as well as houses or parking lots.

To be sure, new construction on raw land at the edge of town is a very important and necessary factor in the continuing growth of any town. It’s a good thing.

But if existing neighborhoods are ignored, the cost can be tremendous. In terms of infrastructure maintenance, the possibility of eventual blight and lower property values and a less desirable place to live when neighborhoods decay, the cost is enormous.

The discussion and planning of what to do in Casper neighborhoods during this period of growth is essential. On Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers, City staff is hosting the next in a continuing series of discussions on what the City’s role should be in the Old Yellowstone Corridor.

From nearly any perspective, the area between Collins and David and First and Poplar streets is what infill opportunity looks like. There are several businesses and homeowners already invested. Plus there is some land available from one-time refinery related and other businesses that have closed.

The rock of the discussion will no doubt be planning and zoning. These are essential tools in any government’s toolbox, and they allow property owners and investors to know what will or will not be allowed land uses in the neighborhood in the future.

Recent discussions on this subject have not born much sweet fruit. Some business owners and residents felt the City’s plans did not adequately recognize the value of their long-term investments in the area. Others felt pressure to relocate.

City staff members say they are not trying to push anyone out and that all current businesses can stay; that what they are doing is planning for future uses. Gen. George S. Patton once said that planning is essential, but plans are useless. That may be somewhat the case here; a plan can help define where we are headed, but the incremental steps may be impossible to define at the outset.

We believe that revitalizing the Old Yellowstone Corridor is a “must do.” The property is a sweet spot mingled between and around our downtown, the river and the beautifully reclaimed former Amoco Refinery. We should take advantage of the opportunity to renew the whole area.

But given the size of the task and the distance between the extremes of opinion, a fight over an exact plan may be less productive, or even counter productive. A better option would be a more loosely defined general direction where residents, business owners and City planners can take a few logical steps together that will help define the end goal.

We could define the parts of the City’s plan that most people agree on; for example, where the main street artery will lie, and begin with those projects. The following steps will be obvious as new growth and infill take place.

General directions and loose planning will not get the job done, but they may be the only things that can get the job started. This meeting shouldn’t make or break redevelopment; it simply should be a step along the way.

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