Hastings Planning Commission Meeting - January 21, 2026

The Hastings Planning Commission met in regular session on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the Hastings Municipal Airport, 3300 W 12th St, Hastings, Nebraska. Seven commissioners were present and two were absent; city staff and Mayor Jay Beckby attended. The commission recommended approval of a blight and substandard study for Redevelopment Area No. 19 and a redevelopment plan modification for the Middle School project, and discussed the zoning code rewrite. The meeting adjourned at 5:03 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Motion to adopt the agenda passed 7-0 after Item 8 (election of officers) was removed; elections were deferred to February.
• Motion to approve the December 16, 2025 meeting minutes passed 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No citizen communications were offered under Item 5.
• Lee Saathoff of 904 N 6th Ave questioned how the Area 19 property could be classified as blighted and substandard.
• Kara Jacobsen of 1219 N 7th Ave, a property owner within about 100 yards of Area 19, argued that approximately 95% of the proposed area is vacant or undeveloped agricultural land, that Nebraska law requires present harmful conditions rather than future development goals, and that the 1998 Fitzke v. City of Hastings ruling should prevent the designation. She said she was not opposed to responsible growth but was concerned about lasting impacts on property owners.
• Dave Rippe of 1312 Heritage Drive, speaking for the development group, expressed support for the Middle School redevelopment project and described it as complex and not financially attractive without public support.
• Shannon Landauer of the Hastings Chamber/HEDC expressed support for the Middle School project, noting HEDC is a funding partner and that the state prioritizes infill and adaptive reuse projects.

Public Hearings

Redevelopment Area No. 19 - Blight and Substandard Study (2025-826)

• Kevin Kubo presented the staff report recommending approval. Randy Chick, on behalf of the Community Redevelopment Authority, said the CRA has 16 existing redevelopment areas totaling about 3,422 acres, roughly 26% of city acreage; adding Area 19 would bring the total to about 29.25%, under the 35% allowed by community development law. Keith Carl of Hanna:Keelan Associates testified that the study found the area meets the blight/substandard criteria, including structure age and lack of affordable housing.
• Commissioner Craig Hubbard questioned the designation because the area includes working farm ground with center pivots and three homes valued at $200,000-$300,000, and because the zoning is partly agricultural and partly R-1. He said he could not find a legally and ethically defensible way to vote for the recommendation. City Attorney Jesse Oswald explained that the 1998 Fitzke case involved extending an existing blighted area into a cornfield, not prohibiting a new area of agricultural land from being designated blighted if it independently meets the criteria. Randy Chick added that a blight designation does not reduce property values or taxes.

Middle School Redevelopment Plan Modification (2025-827)

• Kevin Kubo presented the staff report recommending approval. The 1.69-acre project would use about $1.8 million in TIF bonds paid over 15 years, and the project was found infeasible without TIF. Randy Chick noted corrections to the application, including C-2 downtown commercial zoning instead of R-3, and listed approved funding from Rural Workforce Housing, CRA funds, Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust, and an EPA cleanup grant.
• Dave Rippe described plans for 68 apartment units: 58 market-rate units and 10 units targeting households up to 120% of area median income, about $75,000 for a one-person household and $85,000 for a two-person household, plus limited commercial or amenity space.

Reports

• Committee reports: None.
• Chairman comments: Commissioner Rosenberg encouraged attendance at the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association conference in Kearney, March 4-6, 2026. He presented certificates of appreciation to Michelle Lewis and Jody Stutzman, whose terms end in February 2026.
• Staff reports: Ember Batelaan discussed the Chapter 54 zoning code rewrite, including aligning districts with the Comprehensive Plan, eliminating spot zoning, and simplifying use tables. Proposed changes include new residential districts, a residential village district for tiny homes and mobile homes, and a split of commercial corridor and highway commercial districts. Kevin Kubo reported 2025 development statistics: $75 million in added value, 1,380 permits, and $495,000 in permit fees. Lee Vrooman said the Southeast project is awaiting a pre-construction meeting with the state, and City Hall is expected to be ready in April or May. Mayor Beckby said two applicants will be appointed at the next meeting, thanked outgoing commissioners, and expressed support for the Area 19 and Middle School projects.

Key Outcomes

• Recommended approval of the Blight and Substandard Study for Redevelopment Area No. 19 to the City Council. Motion by Stutzman, second by Kindig. Passed 6-1, with Hubbard voting no.
• Recommended approval of Plan Modification No. 2026-1 to Redevelopment Area No. 1 for the Middle School Redevelopment Project. Motion by Stutzman, second by Kully. Passed 5-1-1, with Hubbard voting no and Kindig abstaining.
• The meeting adjourned at 5:03 p.m.