Business park plan still on hold

Vince Waters of the Keyhole Ranch had hoped to meet with Pine Haven’s council at this week’s workshop to move forward with the plans for the future business park and fire station on the south end of town with the closure of probate on his father, Skip Waters’, will. However, the probate is not final as of this report so the rancher has postponed the conversation until next month.

Mayor Karla Brandenburg addressed the timing issue this delay will create, saying, “It’s going to put our grant through the Business Council into the [fall application] deadline instead of this spring. If he sits here until April, we can’t get everything… in time to apply.” She spoke about at least one business from the Casper area that is considering opening a storefront in the park when infrastructure and other aspects have been realized. “If we can get him to commit… our chances of getting that grant for the infrastructure are pretty good.”

With the delay of probate, though, the town will not be able to apply until the next window, which is in the fall, “and they won’t look at it until January,” the mayor considered, “so we’re a year away”.

Brandenburg assured her council that there are other options available to the town for location, but noted that none was as ideally suited to the needs of the community. “I don’t want to explore those yet.”