Sheridan City Council Study Session – October 12, 2026

The Sheridan Mayor and City Council held a study session on Monday, October 12, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 5:59 PM. The meeting opened with two staff presentations: a proposed rezoning for a 26.3-acre property on Yellowtail Drive and a proposed all-way stop conversion at North Scott Street and East Brundage Street. It ended with general discussion of potential future agenda items. No formal votes were taken. Agenda and minutes were not provided; this summary is based on the raw transcript.

Rezone – PL-26-39 / Ordinance 2307-26

• City Planner Kelly Schroeder presented a request to rezone a 26.3-acre property at 404250 Yellowtail Drive, currently zoned Higher Education with a small R3 Residential sliver, to B2 Business District. The property is Lot 1 of Eagle View Subdivision.
• The applicants plan to build a church on the property in the future. B2 was identified as the best fit, partly because it is the closest zoning district to the light industrial uses planned in the surrounding area. The parcel was annexed in 2013 with the intent of a First People Center for Education Headquarters, but that original vision never materialized.
• The property is in the Gateway District and is governed by the Wrench Ranch Master Plan. Surrounding uses include High Tech Business Park Phase 1, the future High Tech Business Park Phase 2, Sheridan College Agri-Park, and commercial and light industrial uses. The 2017 future land use map showed agriculture for the area, but staff said actual development and planned infrastructure make B2 more appropriate.
• B2 allows all uses except a list of 47 prohibited heavy-industrial uses and does not allow special exemptions. Maximum building height equals the width of the fronting right-of-way; Yellowtail Drive is 120 feet wide. There is no minimum lot size; setbacks are zero except dwellings require a 10-foot rear yard and 5-foot side yards; parking requirements depend on the use.
• Staff sent notifications to six surrounding property owners, published a legal ad, and posted a sign on the property. No questions, comments, or concerns were received. Staff recommended approval; the Planning Commission was scheduled to review the item that evening. A rezone requires three readings, beginning the following week.
• Council questions included the original education use, the future west corridor/beltway connection (shown in front of the property), and the tax implications of a possible church. One council member questioned whether rezoning 26 acres to B2 for a potential nonprofit church would reduce taxable economic potential. The mayor and staff responded that B2 allows a broad range of potential revenue-generating uses, and the planner noted the property is owned by John E. Rice and Sons, with a majority held by the University of Wyoming. The land use plan update was also discussed; Schroeder said work with a consultant had recently begun and public engagement is expected in November.

Stop Signs – Resolution 2126

• City Engineer Thomas Murnault proposed adding two stop signs at North Scott Street and East Brundage Street, converting the intersection from a two-way stop to an all-way stop. Traffic on Brundage already stops; Scott Street currently has free-flowing north/south traffic.
• The recommendation is based on crash history and MUTCD guidelines. The intersection had seven crashes in the 2021–2023 window and seven crashes in the 2024–2026 window, exceeding the MUTCD threshold of six crashes in 36 months. The Transportation Master Plan also lists it as one of the city's higher-crash intersections.
• Nearby development and activity has increased, including the new Co-op building, the Columbus building, Burns Insurance, a new apartment complex, and the Whitney Center/hockey rink area. The proposal only adds the two stop signs; no restriping or reconfiguration is planned.
• Council members noted positive feedback about temporary stop signs used during construction and asked about the existing westbound turn lane onto Scott Street. Murnault said the painted turn lane serves the westbound-to-northbound movement from Sheridan Avenue. The recommendation to approve the resolution and authorize the public works director to act was scheduled for the following council meeting.

General Discussion and Potential Future Agenda Items

• City Administrator Stuart McRae said Dan Roberts will sit in for him at the next regular meeting because McRae will be at the ICMA conference.
• Councilmember Jack spoke in favor of integrating lower-income housing with market-rate housing. He proposed, for example, asking a developer building 80 houses to make about 10% (eight houses) lower-income units in exchange for a lot-cost incentive, and using smaller lots or smaller homes to blend incomes rather than separating low-income housing.
• Councilmember Jack also asked for an economic development update on manufacturing recruitment, noting the last large manufacturer in the area was Weatherby about eight years ago. McRae said the city is reviewing the job description for the person who solicits economic development; the mayor suggested scheduling a CETA update and noted the business park will provide additional lots.
• Councilmember Greg praised the new stop signs at Burkett and Gold and the removal of three oversized flower containers. He also said the recent Citizens Academy raised housing and incentives questions and asked to explore possible city housing incentives with staff or a broader committee.
• A council member voiced concern about taxpayer-funded housing incentives, saying it is not the city's job to build houses but to create a regulatory environment conducive to building housing.
• The same council member proposed considering a resolution opposing data centers within city limits, citing water scarcity and Wyoming's headwaters for five major river systems, and said it could set an example for surrounding jurisdictions. The mayor said no data center has expressed interest in Sheridan, that water-use considerations should be examined further, and that he is willing to look into the issue.
• The 2021 housing study was also discussed. The mayor said it projected a need for roughly 900-plus housing units over 10 years, through 2031, and that the city has been broadly on track, with multifamily housing and apartments as the main gap. A council member asked for updated numbers comparing the study recommendations to current progress; staff agreed to provide that comparison.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or ordinance adoptions occurred at this study session.
• Staff recommended approval of PL-26-39 / Ordinance 2307-26; the rezone will go to council for three readings starting the following week.
• Resolution 2126 is scheduled for council action the following week; staff recommended approval and delegation to the public works director.
• Staff will provide updated housing data comparing the 2021 housing study to current conditions.
• Council will continue discussion of housing incentives and economic development/manufacturing recruitment; the mayor indicated willingness to research data-center water use and potential local policies.