Casper, WY Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Casper Municipal Code § 16.17.010
- Adopted document
- 2005 Design Standards for Commercial/Downtown Streetscape and Parks
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 08-06 (2006)
- Filed with
- City Clerk and City Engineer
- Enforcement path
- Site plan review under § 17.12.150
Summary
The City of Casper adopted formal design standards for its downtown and commercial streetscapes through Casper Municipal Code § 16.17.010, which incorporates the city's "Design Standards for Commercial/Downtown Streetscape and Park Areas," dated September 2005, by reference. Filed with the city clerk and city engineer, the document governs streetscape and park construction in the downtown core.
Chapter 16.17 of the Casper Municipal Code is created, and the city of Casper "Design Standards for Commercial/Downtown Streetscape and Park Areas," dated September, 2005, are adopted and filed in the office of the city clerk and city engineer.
Full Breakdown
Casper created Chapter 16.17 of its municipal code specifically to adopt a standalone downtown design document rather than print detailed streetscape rules directly into the zoning title. Section 16.17.010, enacted by Ord. 08-06 in 2006, incorporates by reference the city's "Design Standards for Commercial/Downtown Streetscape and Park Areas," dated September 2005, and directs that the document be filed in the offices of the city clerk and the city engineer rather than reprinted in the code itself. The adjoining Chapter 16.16 sets parallel engineering standards for pedestrian lighting fixtures, tree spacing and irrigation in public rights-of-way and parks citywide, and the 2005 downtown document applies those same engineering-level standards specifically to the commercial core's streetscape and park improvements.
Because the standards are adopted by reference rather than printed in full, any applicant proposing new construction, streetscape work, or park improvements downtown must pull the actual 2005 document from the city engineer's office or Community Development before design begins. Conformance is checked when the city reviews a site plan under § 17.12.150, which requires site plans for public, commercial and multi-family projects to be compatible with all plans currently adopted by the council, a category that includes the Chapter 16.17 downtown document. The city engineer signs off alongside the community development director because the document covers engineered elements, not just architectural appearance.
Violations & Fines
A downtown project that departs from the adopted 2005 standards does not receive a signed site plan agreement under § 17.12.150, and without one the building official will not issue a building permit or certificate of occupancy. Proceeding with unauthorized construction anyway is treated like any other code violation: a misdemeanor under § 1.28.010, punishable by a fine plus court costs, with § 1.28.020 making each day the noncompliant work continues a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Casper have an official downtown design guide?
Where can I read the actual downtown design standards?
What happens if a downtown project ignores the design standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Casper
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