Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
An entertainment district could be in the works in Cheyenne if the city passes a new ordinance.
The City of Cheyenne is looking into ordinances that would affect historic horse racing, to see if there might be better ways to integrate them into the community.
During the last legislative session, lawmakers discussed local control of historic horse racing facilities.
Over the last few months, the city has been working with several sectors to create changes to the way these businesses are processed.
Currently, if you are outside downtown, there is a conditional approval by a seven-person voluntary team that decides if the business is appropriate for neighborhood use.
This new change in development regulations would move this to the city governing body and would also provide public and newspaper notice to neighbors, as well as posting signs in the area.
"It is all designed to help provide the opportunity for the public to provide input on these facilities," said Charles Bloom, director of Development and Planning for the City of Cheyenne.
The outcome is for the city to set up regions or corridors for entertainment businesses, drawing locals and out-of-state patrons to these areas.
The areas they are targeting are the 15th street "experience" between the depot to Reed Rail, another is west Lincolnway from Crow Creek to the city limits, and finally the I-25 High Plains Interchange to Swan Ranch.
"Make sure when the zoning or the actual location of the use is being selected that the governing body is going to be able to identify what the negative impact will be on the community, and if there might be, what can they do to mitigate that impact," said Bloom.
Fixes could mean things like changing their hours of operation, landscaping or entrance ways.
This ordinance would also help keep these businesses away from a childcare center, churches, recreational centers or schools.
"Slowly over time, we're expecting that the facilities are located in some of these highly traveled retail corridors, areas where visitors come, where people go to have an entertainment experience," says Bloom.
The Cheyenne City Council heard the proposal on first reading on May 28 and forwarded it to Public Services Committee to be discussed on June 1.
If passed, the ordinance could be completed by June 22.
