Kearney Planning Commission Meeting - August 21, 2020

The Kearney Planning Commission met on August 21, 2020 at 9:00 AM in City Council Chambers, 18 East 22nd Street. The meeting included approval of minutes, two partial vacation requests, a hearing on a land use map amendment, a hearing on code amendments, and election of officers. All agenda items were approved with modifications. The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Dave Malone and adjourned after the election.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (July 17, 2020): Motion carried with two abstentions (Pandorf and Dart).
• Item 4 – Partial Vacation No. 2011-01 (Austin Estates Fourth Subdivision): Approved unanimously. The applicant, Trenton Snow, requested to vacate platted side and rear yard setbacks for Lot 1 at 612 West 68th Street to allow current city code setbacks to apply. Staff recommended approval. Vote: all aye.
• Item 5 – Partial Vacation No. Prior to 1950-23 (Lincoln Way Villa Plots): Approved unanimously. The application by Chris Kabourek for the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska sought to vacate several lots and portions of lots to clean up records. The street address was corrected from 2800 West 24th Street. Staff recommended approval. Vote: all aye.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public offered testimony during the hearings for Item 6 or Item 7. The chair closed each hearing after confirming no speakers.

Discussion Items

• Item 6 – Land Use Map Amendment No. 2020-02: A hearing on proposed amendments to the 2016 Comprehensive Development Plan Future Land Use Map for an area along the Kearney East Expressway from 11th Street to Coal Chute Road. Brenda Jensen, Director of Development Services, presented rational for better transition between light industrial, mixed-use, and urban reserve designations. The amendment would redesignate a large area as Mixed Use 2 (MU2), allowing office, commercial, retail, and high-density residential uses. Discussion included clarification that the change does not affect current property use or taxes. The commission debated adding the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district to the general commercial compatible list; they decided to remove that addition. Motion to recommend approval with amendment to remove CBD from general commercial compatible zoning districts. Vote: all aye.
• Item 7 – Code Amendment No. 2020-01 (note: the agenda listed 2020-02 but was corrected during the meeting): A hearing on proposed amendments to multiple chapters of the City Code affecting the Business Park (BP) district, landscaping, parking, and use matrix. Brenda Jensen highlighted major changes: updating the BP purpose statement, increasing setbacks along the Kearney East Expressway (similar to I-80), raising maximum building coverage, removing required planned development overlay for projects under 20 acres, adding supplemental regulations for agricultural sales and service, increasing landscaping depth to 30 feet along the expressway, requiring 10-foot opaque screening, allowing gravel areas in BP districts, and updating the use matrix to add uses like corporate offices, ag sales, equipment rental, truck terminals, and light industry. The commission discussed replacing the phrase "along the Kearney East Expressway" with "adjacent to the Kearney East Expressway" for clarity and consistency, and also correcting a reference to I-80. Motion to approve with those language modifications. Vote: all aye.
• Election of Officers: The commission elected a Chair and Vice Chair for one-year terms. Stan Dart was nominated and elected Chair (vote: all aye except Dart abstained). Richard McGuinness was nominated and elected Vice Chair (vote: all aye except McGuinness abstained).

Key Outcomes

• Item 4 and Item 5: Partial vacations approved as presented.
• Item 6: Land Use Map Amendment No. 2020-02 recommended for approval by the Planning Commission to City Council, with the amendment to remove CBD from the general commercial compatible zoning districts.
• Item 7: Code Amendment No. 2020-01 approved with the modification that all instances of "along the Kearney East Expressway" be changed to "adjacent to the Kearney East Expressway" (including one instance referencing I-80).
• New Officers: Chair – Stan Dart; Vice Chair – Richard McGuinness.
• No other reports or business were discussed; the meeting adjourned following the election.