NIOBRARA COUNTY - Niobrara County residents let their views regarding the Niobrara County Land Use Plan be known during a public hearing held at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, February 4.

The plan has worked its way through the Niobrara County Planning and Zoning Commission and a series of prior public hearings. The Planning and Zoning Commission added public comments to the document and made several revisions before presenting it to the Niobrara County Commissioners. The commissioners are now attempting to finalize the plan but desire more feedback before bringing their task to its conclusion. The County Commission chairman, Patrick Wade, told the audience members that they were “encouraged to join the process and make your views known.” According to Niobrara County Commissioner Elaine Griffith, the commissioners see the public as a pivotal part of their effort to produce a final draft.

“We felt it was important to have a public hearing and let the public say what they think again,” Griffith told the Herald.

Concerns were raised regarding definitional clarity. Some participants in the hearing felt that terms such as “private property,” “culture,” and “customs” needed to be fleshed out more before the Niobrara County Land Use Plan is considered finished. All of these terms appear several times in the current draft. The document’s opening sentence states that the purpose of the land use plan “is to protect the culture and customs” of Niobrara County. While such sentences are meant to elucidate the plan’s goal, there were audience members who took the stage to request elaboration. The term repeatedly visited by audience members was “private property.” Many felt that this term was important because its definition could affect how people use their land.

“At this meeting it became obvious that the definition of private property seems to differ between people,” County Commissioner Jeb Hanson told the Herald. “We need to go back to the original document. We need to hack away at it.”

While the hearing was brief, the County Commissioners are not yet done listening to the public. The Commissioners are accepting written comments regarding the plan up were able to comment until the end of the business day on Friday, February 7.