Fuel Station Breaks Ground Amid Concerns

P&Z approves permit for fuel station on airport land.

The Cody Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board approved a special use permit on September 17 for a new Sinclair fuel station on Yellowstone Regional Airport (YRA) property, south of the building housing Acention Aviation, Choice Aviation and Cody Coffee and north of the highway. Board members Kathrine Kyle and Sarah Miles voted no, wishing they had more information on the topic before the vote.

Miles expressed, “A lot of these discussions and questions probably could have been short-circuited if we would have had all of the information or a summary of that information before coming here today.”

The approval followed weeks of site work that began before the special use permit was in place. However, the building inspector and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ) were aware that the tanks were being installed at Essential Fuel’s risk.

According to Essential Fuels, the company proceeded knowing it would be responsible for removing the tanks and returning the site to its original state if permits were not approved. No permit was needed for the dirt work. With the tanks arriving early, they couldn’t be left sitting on the ground, as that would pose a safety risk to the public and the tanks. The extra weeks of work also allow them to move the project along further before winter.

“We submitted everything last May for P&Z and the building department to review.” Said Eric Reichert, owner of Essential Fuels.

The early work raised concerns among some in the community and two P&Z board members that proper procedures had not been followed. While there is no regulation on the dirt work, the P&Z board requested that the City Council take a closer look at this issue.

Rendition of the Fuel Station

Public Hearing

As required by the City, notices were sent to all properties within 300 feet of the proposed station. The board received seven responses: five objections and two with no objection. Of the five objections, the City verified one was within 300 feet of the site.

YRA Executive Director Aaron Buck, City Attorney Scott Kolpitcke and Eric Reichert, owner of Essential Fuels, responded to board questions.

Kolpitcke said there is no set order for approving a site plan and a conditional use permit, and that depending on the project, either may come first. The P&Z board will review the site plans for the fuel station in October. They were not complete at the time of the meeting.

YRA is a joint powers entity of the City and Park County. It operates separately from both, is governed by a joint powers board, and is run by an executive director. The City owns the airport property, YRA controls the leases and oversees the tenants, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approves land use with respect to airport safety. The parcel is zoned for industrial use.

YRA and Essential Fuels began discussions in 2024 and continued through 2025. The two entered into a 20-year lease in late 2025.

Making YRA Self-Sustaining

Developing the land around the airport has been under discussion for years, with greater focus since 2023 and 2024 to make the airport more self-sustaining. YRA receives federal funding for improvement projects, but its operating budget comes from the City (60%) and the County (40%).

The fuel station lease will bring YRA $32,000 a year. According to Buck, revenue from airport land could lessen the need for local tax dollars to run the airport as government budgets tighten and costs rise. There is currently no fuel station on that side of town.

Other benefits cited include a convenient place to refuel rental cars and a station with space for large campers and trailers for both residents and visitors.

Buck said, “The station also provides redundancy and safety to the airport.” The FAA allows the airport to store up to 1,000 gallons of fuel on-site, and during a heavy winter storm, the plows can go through more than that.

“We don’t have to go into public roads with our large plows. We can pull up, fill, and continue to maintain the runways. It will lighten the burden on the airport to maintain [diesel fuel] storage,” Buck said.

In addition to making YRA more self-sustaining, Reichert mentioned that he will employ 15 employees with retirement benefits and insurance. He also plans to buy building materials locally and hire local businesses to handle the electrical, plumbing, landscaping and more.

Concerns About the Fuel Station

Concerns raised about the project include groundwater, wildlife, pilot visibility, traffic, sign height and security.

Hangar tenants raised concerns at several YRA board meetings, and some were addressed through the lease. Overnight parking will not be allowed at the station, addressing a security concern for aircraft owners. Cliff Hammond, who spoke to the board, remains concerned about non-customers using the two showers available at the station. His concern is for the safety of the workers at Choice Aviation as well as the expensive aircraft that could be at risk with increased traffic at the site.

Dan Schein responded to security concerns. “I met with the Chief of Police of the City of Cody, Jason Stafford, and one of his lieutenants when this project was first presented to the airport board. … I expressed specifically to him, ‘Do you have any security concerns with traffic and specifically used as a filling station?’ His response to me was that they have no concerns with this from the police department’s perspective. In fact, they believe it will enhance the amount of time they are on that site and in that general area because they now have a place to stop and use the restroom; they have a place to get soda or coffee.”

Reichert said in an interview that at one location they acquired, there were some problems with homeless people, but they cleaned it up, added lighting, invited the police to come through more often, and the problem resolved itself. He plans to keep this location clean and welcoming to travelers. “I want it to be a place my wife and kids can stop and feel safe. All our locations are that way.” He also mentioned he, as the owner, will personally stop in regularly to be on site in Cody.

YRA hired Morrison-Maierle to prepare a Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) study for the FAA. A CATEX addresses environmental compliance under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the FAA uses them to streamline requests. Should a CATEX uncover extraordinary circumstances, a more detailed NEPA review may be required.

The study examined wildlife and biological resources, water resources and quality, air quality, geology and soils, and other considerations. The FAA approved the categorical exclusion for this portion of the airport land, with no further NEPA studies needed.

The study found groundwater at a depth of 25 to 30 feet. The tanks sit at 15 feet. Reichert mentioned in an interview that many tanks are completely submerged in the groundwater. “According to an EPA National Survey, about 33% of commercial fuel stations are located partially or completely below the water table,” Reichert said.

He went on to explain that the double-walled tanks have strict monitoring and double walls to ensure fuel doesn’t contaminate the groundwater. WYDEQ issues regulations and oversees tanks.

P&Z Board Chair Dan Schein said station lighting must comply with current regulations requiring downward-facing fixtures, which would not affect pilots’ night vision.

A traffic impact study was done and reviewed by WYDOT. WYDOT and the City would require a deceleration lane (turning lane) off the Greybull Highway. Additionally, a right turn lane will be added to 30th for traffic entering westbound entering the highway. Both will be completed at Essential Fuel’s expense.

What’s Next

The P&Z board is expected to review the station’s site plans at the next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, or at the latest, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.

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