Park County commissioners back Hartzell Fire auxiliary station, direct staff to prepare resolution

The Park County Board of County Commissioners voted Wednesday to direct staff to draft a resolution in favor of a conditional use permit (CUP) that would allow the Hartzell Fire Protection District to build an unmanned auxiliary fire station at 7127 Moffett Road in Hartzell.

County planner Shelly Yarbrough told commissioners the district’s application (case A25-0072) proposes an unmanned auxiliary station on a 5‑acre lot in the South Park Ranches, filing 1. The parcel is in a residential zone; county rules allow county facilities unrelated to residential activity to be approved via conditional use. Yarbrough said the lot is flat, contains no wetlands, and has roughly 330 feet of frontage on Moffett Road; a driveway permit application was pending and a building permit will be required before construction.

Hartzell Fire Chief Brian Cook told the board the station is intended to shorten response times for remote parts of the district and to help residents keep homeowners insurance. Cook said the proposed building would be a roughly 56-by-80-foot, off-grid, solar-powered structure with backup generators and room for future living quarters if staffing needs change; he said the facility would be volunteer‑staffed initially and that three volunteers already live in that part of the district.

Commissioners asked about referrals, neighbors and safety. Yarbrough said referrals were sent to the advisory board for the environment, public works, and the local fire protection district; none raised objections. Commissioners expressed support for improved response times on Wilkerson Pass and in other outlying areas. After a brief public‑hearing period with no speakers in opposition, the board voted 3‑0 to direct staff to prepare a resolution approving the CUP; the board indicated the resolution would be brought back for formal action at a future meeting.

The board recorded that the station also would host the county’s hazmat vehicle; Chief Cook said Hartzell has become the county’s hazmat response team. Yarbrough reiterated that, per county practice, the building permit and final driveway permit must be approved before construction begins.

The county will publish the draft resolution and schedule it for a future meeting where the board will take formal action in resolution form.