The City of Casper is authorizing the establishment of parking lots on private property, during the 2017 eclipse, and the days leading up.
City officials have said that they are aware that some property owners want to offer for-profit parking during the Wyoming Eclipse Festival. In particular, there is a desire to offer parking on unpaved land in the downtown area. Commercial parking on unpaved land is not usually legal, but the City has now issued a policy that would accommodate this activity for the duration of the eclipse.
Thousands of additional cars will be in town for the eclipse.
“Creating some additional short-term parking will help the City meet a vital need, and in so doing, make the event much more enjoyable for everyone,” said the city in a written statement sent to media on Tuesday. “At the same time, certain guidelines are being put in place so that these parking lots do not become a nuisance. A badly managed parking lot might generate dust and mud. It might also be laid out so that the cars are too close to one another, potentially leading to accidents or people getting stuck and unable to drive out from the lot.”
With these concerns in mind, the City has issued a policy that allows for unpaved commercial parking lots for the dates of August 15 – 22, 2017. The following is a summary of the City’s policy:
- Each temporary parking lot will need to have a sign that identifies the parking lot manager, along with the parking lot manager’s phone number. This will allow City officials to contact that person if problems arise.
- The temporary parking lot needs to be laid out in a drivable manner. Driving lanes need to be twenty feet wide, and parking spaces need to be at least eight-and-a-half feet wide and twenty feet long. These are the standard sizes for all commercial parking lots.
- Parking spaces can be marked (drawn on the ground), but if they’re not, then a parking attendant has to be on site to help people park.
- The parking lot manager will be responsible for preventing dust clouds and tracked mud.
For questions or additional information, contact Pete Meyers at (307) 235-8295.
