Sheriff’s Office Obtains Conditional Use Permit for Abandoned Vehicle Lot

Sheriff’s Office Obtains Conditional Use Permit for Abandoned Vehicle Lot

Photo courtesy of Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office Facebook

SWEETWATER COUNTY – The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office received unanimous approval during the Sweetwater County Commission meeting Tuesday for a conditional use permit that will allow them to operate an abandoned vehicle lot at the Justice Center Complex.

The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the abandoned vehicles within the county, and when Auto Recyclers made the decision to back out of storing the vehicles for the County in March 2021, the Sheriff’s Office and County was tasked with finding a new location for the lot. Fortunately, Sheriff John Grossnickle said there was space just behind the Justice Center and adjacent to the jail.

With the conditional use permit now granted, the Sheriff’s Office will soon be able to begin storing the abandoned vehicles.

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Sheriff Grossnickle said that by utilizing the new yard, they will be able to have local companies tow the abandoned vehicles directly to the Justice Center and the Sheriff’s office will be also be able to then hold regular sales of the vehicles once all the statutory requirements are met.

According to the Sweetwater County Land Use Director Eric Bingham, this lot at the Justice Center is currently secured on three sides by a chain link fence. The County will add additional fence and locking double 8-foot swing gates to make the lot secure. Three strands of barbed wire will be placed on the entire top of the perimeter fence and PVC slats will also be installed along the entire fence before any abandoned vehicles will be stored in the lot. The slats will be placed in every other opening in the chain link fence in order to have a 50 percent screening affect.

The lot will also be regraded and roto-milled tailings will be added to the parking surface so that the tracing of dirt onto the adjoining parking lots will be kept to a minimum.