Planning Commission Meeting - October 20, 2023
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Planning Commission Meeting - October 20, 2023
The Planning Commission of Kearney, Nebraska, met on October 20, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting covered approval of minutes, a subdivision vacation, two public hearings for a rezoning and planned development overlay for Schumacher Fencing, and informational reports.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the September 15, 2023, meeting were approved with a minor edit (correcting an omission of an open public hearing). The motion carried unanimously.
- Subdivision Vacation No. 1980-05: Application by Andrew W. Hoffmeister to vacate Lots 1-6 of Greenhill Acres Subdivision (north of 56th Street, west of 46th Avenue). The applicant stated the property is their home, with no intent to redevelop, and the existing plat is outdated. Staff recommended approval, finding the vacation consistent with the comprehensive plan. The commission voted unanimously to approve.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made by individuals other than the applicants and staff during the hearings.
Discussion Items
- Rezoning No. 2023-17 and Planned Development Plan No. 2023-17 (Schumacher Fencing): Two hearings were held jointly for property at 3107 West Highway 30. Craig Bennett of Miller & Associates represented the applicant. The request was to rezone from C-3 (General Commercial) to C-3/PD (General Commercial/Planned Development Overlay) and approve a PD plan to allow a gravel storage area (rock, gravel, concrete) on the north side of the property, behind the building, instead of paved parking. The deviation from paving requirements was requested because the area would be used for storage of materials. To mitigate visual impact, the applicant proposed a six-foot opaque PVC fence and an additional seven spruce trees along the east side as an increase in minimum standards. Staff noted that the use (construction sales and service) permits outdoor storage as accessory if screened. The deviation would allow gravel instead of paved area. The commission discussed landscaping, potential future expansion, and screening from Highway 30 and the hike/bike trail. Staff recommended approval with the deviation and the added trees. The commission approved both the rezoning and the PD plan unanimously.
Reports
- Commissioner Reports: Commissioner Dave Malone reported on the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association (NPZA) meeting held via Zoom. Topics included housing issues (presented by Aaron Sarrell from Dayton, Ohio), street width concerns, infill development, tax certificate sales, land banks, and community-supported agriculture. Commissioner noted that current high interest rates and infrastructure costs are slowing development. Staff reported that the city sees more remodeling permits than new commercial construction, and an affordable housing action plan is expected to be presented in coming weeks. Discussion also touched on the difficulty of finding construction workers and the state of housing inventory.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved (unanimous).
- Subdivision Vacation No. 1980-05 approved (unanimous).
- Rezoning No. 2023-17 approved (unanimous) with the deviation to allow gravel parking and the increase in minimum standards of seven additional trees on the east side.
- Planned Development Plan No. 2023-17 approved (unanimous) with the same conditions.
- No further business; meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Morning, I'm gonna call this meeting on the planning commission to order. In accordance to Section 841412 of the Nebraska revised statutes, a current copy of the opens meeting act is available for review and it's posted on the wall over here. Roll call, please. Here. Scott Pandor. Here. Rickard. Here. Yah. Here. McGinnis. Here. We have a quorum. You all have minutes of the meeting of September 15th. Uh should receive them and rid them. And if there are any questions or comments in regarding to those, otherwise a motion in regards to those would be in order. Mr. Chairman, make a motion to sorry, before the motion is made. We just wanted to clarify that there was a um a minor edit to the planning commission minutes where we failed to put in one of the open public hearings that it was open. We've now corrected that. It doesn't change the intention of anything reflecting that meeting. It was just a minor edit. So thank you. Should the motion reflect that? Not necessarily, no. Mr. Chairman, make a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Second. Malia. Hello. Dakin. Scott Pandor. Aye. Cochrane. Aye. Yeah. Hi. Again, I the motion passes. Um as we move through today's agenda, which is fairly brief. Uh like to request that when your issue comes before us, please step to the middle podium and give us your name and address for the record. And if you're speaking to us, please stay at the podium as opposed to wandering around the room. It makes things a lot easier. Um the first item that we have is a subdivision vacation 19805, which is an application submitted to vacate lots one, two, three, four, and five, five, and six of Green Hill Acres subdivision. Uh the property is located north of 56th Street and west of 46. The complete legal designation is in the agenda. Is there anyone to be heard on that, please? Thank you. Andrew W. Hoffmeister, applicant, uh owner, and party seeking this. I reside at 5640, 5646th Avenue, Carney, Nebraska, 6845.
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