CHEYENNE - Just the mention of new regulations on private property can cause a stir in the Wyoming Legislature.

But a bill that would give county commissions additional power to regulate large-acre developments is moving steadily through the lawmaking process.

The House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee Monday endorsed Senate File 11, which would allow counties to regulate developments up to 140 acres in size.

Committee Chairman Pete Illoway, R-Cheyenne, said the trick to keeping the controversial bill alive has been lots of listening to the many developers, landowners and ranchers who have a stake in the issue.

"The Senate massaged the bill a little bit, but didn't hurt it," Illoway said. "I think when it came over here to the House, we improved it just a little bit more."

Two of the biggest compromises were made to keep livestock groups on board with the bill.

The Senate Corporations Committee added an amendment that would allow landowners to carve off up to 10 parcels and develop them without county regulations.

The House committee tweaked that amendment Monday to require landowners to submit to some regulation, but not the entire gamut required under normal subdivision laws.

The Senate committee made another change to prevent county commissions from imposing additional regulations. In other words: If it's not in the bill, counties can't do it.

"I would commend both the Senate and House committees in being open to address those concerns," said Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

The House and Senate committees have also embraced a number of less radical - but equally important - changes to the bill.

Laurie Urbigkit, of the Wyoming Association of Realtors and the Wyoming House Alliance, said the willingness of lawmakers to tweak the bill has been critical to its survival.

"It is that tightening to the bill that I truly believe in the end will make this acceptable to a whole lot of people," Urbigkit said.

Doug Cooper, a rancher who became involved with the bill after a large-acre development cropped up next to his Natrona County property, said the bill addresses his concerns.

"It seems to be a compromise between the property owners' right to develop and the rights of the public and the counties at large," Cooper said.

Another big reason the bill is still alive, officials said, is the urgent need to regulate large-acre subdivisions in the state.

Current state law allows counties to only regulate land developments up to 35 acres in size. The result has been a proliferation of 40-acre land developments and no way for counties to oversee roads, water, septic systems and other amenities.

Complaints by the neighbors of such developments and from counties that are sometimes stuck paying associated costs prompted the legislation.

"The bottom line is it's a problem and we've got to do something," Illoway said.

The bill now heads to the full House, where it could face its biggest challenge yet.

Some bill-watchers say the House could become nervous about the large number of committee amendments that accompany the bill.

But Illoway said House members have plenty of time to learn the amendments and get comfortable with the bill before they make their final vote.

"I think the bill is palatable to most folks," he added.

At this point, the trick to keeping the bill alive all the way to the desk of the governor - who has expressed support for it - will be leaving it alone, Magagna said.

"I think it's got a fairly good chance now if it can move along without major amendments," he added.

Reach capital bureau reporter Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or at {M3jared.miller@trib.com.