WY Fresh Annexation Vote
WY Fresh Farm and Farmstand closed permanently Saturday, just before its owners yielded to a city-initiated annexation vote that they fought for months, according to wyomingnews.com.
The Cheyenne City Council voted unanimously Monday to annex and rezone the 8.61-acre property at 200 Walterscheid Blvd. Co-owners David and Tommie Kniseley asked for the annexation after previously resisting it, stating they now intend to sell the property and leave Cheyenne.
Months of Dispute
The Kniseley family purchased the parcel in 2007, began community sales in 2017, and opened their physical farmstand in 2022, wyomingnews.com reported. The conflict began earlier this year when the family discovered their property sat inside a county pocket slated for forced annexation by the city under a systematic campaign that started in 2022.
In February, the family submitted 143 operational questions to city officials. Although staff replied on March 2, the owners maintained the responses remained incomplete. A final vote scheduled for March 9 was postponed for four months to allow officials to refine urban farming guidelines.
Anticipating the final council hearing, the family announced on Facebook that Saturday would mark their final day of business. “We are officially closed for good,” the owners wrote, adding that city statutes provide no legal protections for traditional farming operations.
Kniseley family criticizes council during annexation vote
During Monday’s heated session, David Kniseley criticized the governing body directly. “My intention tonight is that people give you hell for the way you treated us,” he told the council, according to wyomingnews.com.
Tommie Kniseley stated that the forced process inflicted permanent damage. “You may have allowed me to continue to farm, but you stripped me of any legal protections to farm,” she said.
Council members approved the annexation to honor the owners’ request to facilitate a property sale. Councilman Tom Segrave condemned threatening messages sent to officials throughout the proceedings, telling attendees, “That’s pretty disgusting.”
Unified Development Code Changes
Following the property vote, the council reviewed four ordinances updating the Unified Development Code. Officials approved rules permitting electric fencing and expanding livestock allowances, but rejected a gravel parking amendment over environmental runoff concerns and postponed broader agricultural regulations.
Councilman Mark Moody opposed the annexation outcome and criticized the city’s approach to local agriculture. “All of us, we will be remembered as the council that drove WY Fresh out of Cheyenne,” Moody said.
Questions about the Kniseley family property and annexation
When did the Kniseley family buy the property?
The family purchased the 8.61-acre parcel in 2007, later opening community sales in 2017 and launching the farmstand in 2022.
Why did the owners change their stance on annexation?
Co-owners David and Tommie Kniseley requested the annexation on Monday because they plan to sell their land and leave Cheyenne, noting that city annexation makes property sales easier.
What happened to the proposed changes for gravel parking?
The council voted down the gravel parking ordinance due to accessibility compliance rules and concerns about keeping dirt out of Crow Creek and the municipal drainage system.
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