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Record of Proceedings

Planning Commission Meeting - April 18, 2025: Westesen Acres and McCaslin Subdivision Approvals

Planning Commission — Friday, April 18, 2025
BodyKearney, Nebraska
SessionPlanning Commission
DateFriday, April 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 59:55

Original source
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0:00

Our computer says it's nine o'clock.

0:02

You can block on the wall and set.

0:07

Good morning.

0:08

I'm gonna call this meeting of the planning commission to order and ask for a roll call, please.

0:14

Dart.

0:15

Here.

0:15

Malone.

0:16

Here.

0:17

Dakon?

0:17

Here.

0:18

Baker.

0:18

Here.

0:19

Cochrane.

0:19

Here.

0:20

Records.

0:20

Here.

0:21

Yeah.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Here.

0:23

We have a quorum.

0:24

And according to Section 841412 of Nebraska Revised Statutes.

0:29

A current copy of the Open Meetings Act is available for review and is posted on the wall.

0:34

The Council Chambers.

0:38

You all have a copy of the minutes of the March 18th.

0:44

21st.

0:45

March 21st.

0:46

21st.

0:47

March 21st.

0:50

Meeting.

0:51

You've all had a chance to look at that.

0:53

Motion in regards to the Mr.

0:55

Chairman, I'd make a motion to approve the minutes of the meeting held on March 21st, 2025 as so written.

1:04

And second any discussion.

1:09

I Dacon.

1:10

Aye.

1:10

Baker.

1:13

Ricker.

1:13

Abstain.

1:14

Yaw.

1:14

I again.

1:16

Start.

1:17

Aye.

1:18

The motion carries.

1:20

As we are moving through today's activities, would appreciate it if you will come to the front podium and give us your name and address for the record.

1:32

As the procedure moves along, you'll have that opportunity if you wish.

1:37

The first items, if you have the agenda are items four, five, six, and seven.

1:44

They all pertain to the same parcel of property.

1:48

And they are all hearings.

1:54

But first is a hearing on the rezoning to rezone from District AG agricultural district to district R R2, Rural Residential District, a property located at 901 V Road, which is on Highway 50A.

2:10

The next item is for a preliminary plat for that same property, as well as the final the uh final plat for that property.

2:20

Um for the record, Trenton Snow, um land surveyor with an office here in Kearney, Nebraska, and with me today also is Dave Westison, who uh lives in the house in question and owns basically just the house at this time.

2:40

Um this is the area it's just within your side just inside your two mile jurisdiction because of the archway.

2:48

It jumps down south of Highway 50A and gets Dave's house.

2:53

So we actually uh didn't realize this and started taking it through Carney County and got within a week of their meeting and went oops.

3:02

And so here we are today.

3:04

Um Dave owns just around his house site.

3:08

It's an old deed and it's less than an acre, um, but he is moving into Carney and is wanting to sell that to his niece, and she wants a little more than just the house.

3:18

So we are here today to uh make it so she can purchase some more than than just the house area, so she gets to drive the garage, and then there's a few outbuildings to the south.

3:29

Um the acreage there is such that we're going to request the RR2 zoning since we are less than the three acres for RR1.

3:39

Other than that, um everything is in place is going to remain the same as you see it right there for the near future anyway.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning and Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████23%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████10%
Transportation Safety█████████10%
Procedural███████8%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning Commission Meeting - April 18, 2025

The Kearney Planning Commission met on April 18, 2025, at 9:00 AM in City Council Chambers, 18 East 22nd Street. The commission considered two development proposals: the Westesen Acres subdivision (rezoning, preliminary plat, final plat) and the McCaslin Subdivision (two rezonings, preliminary plat, final plat). All items were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The minutes of the March 21, 2025 meeting were approved with one abstention (Commissioner Rickard).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Westesen Acres: No public comments were made.
  • McCaslin Subdivision:
    • Tom McCarty (Clearview Drive, resident of Clearview Subdivision for 50 years, real estate broker) expressed concerns about commercial development adjacent to residential areas, stormwater detention adequacy, and the number of access points onto 2nd Avenue. He stated he was not opposed to the project overall but preferred residential development. He questioned the timing of street paving and noted that the 1% flood event could still cause issues. He supported the CO zoning but suggested a planned district for the front lots for more control over future uses. He was not opposed to the project.
    • Kenneth Richter (property owner to the north of the McCaslin site, since 1974) expressed concern about long-standing water drainage issues on his property. He noted that the area has always had water problems and that the current retention cell overflowed during a recent 3-inch rain. He stated he is not against commercial development along 2nd Avenue (he has commercial frontage himself) but wanted assurance that the development would not worsen his drainage. He said he could not say he is opposed as long as the issue does not get worse.

Discussion Items

  • Westesen Acres (Items 4-6): Applicant Trenton Snow (land surveyor) and owner David Westesen requested rezoning of a tract at 901 V Road (Highway 50A) from AG (Agricultural) to RR-2 (Rural Residential, Intermediate Standards), plus preliminary and final plat for a subdivision to allow adding farmland to the existing house lot for sale to a niece. The property is less than 3 acres, so RR-2 was appropriate. No changes to existing structures are planned. The rezoning and plats were presented as compatible with the comprehensive plan. Staff recommended approval. The commission voted unanimously to approve all three items.
  • McCaslin Subdivision (Items 7-10): Applicant Craig Bennett (Miller & Associates) for Keith McCaslin requested two rezonings: from AG to C-O (Office District) for the western portion, and from AG to C-2 (Community Commercial District) for the eastern portion along 2nd Avenue, plus preliminary and final plat for a four-lot subdivision. The site is north of 6740 North 2nd Avenue, within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Key features included:
    • The site has been partially filled and a borrow pit created, with a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to remove parts from the floodplain. A regional stormwater detention cell will be built using the existing basin.
    • Access to lots will be via 69th Street and 70th Street (new east-west streets), with no direct driveways onto 2nd Avenue to comply with NDOT access management.
    • No water or sewer connections are available yet; interim well and septic will be used. Future sanitary sewer may be extended via the old railroad corridor.
    • The C-O zone on the west provides a transition to existing residential. The C-2 zone on the east allows commercial uses consistent with the 2nd Avenue corridor.
    • Staff recommended approval, noting compatibility with the comprehensive plan, adequate infrastructure feasibility plan, and conformance with zoning regulations.
    • Discussion included clarification that streets will be built to city standards (concrete, curb and gutter) and phased with development. The commission also discussed the process for requesting speed limit changes from the state along 2nd Avenue.

Key Outcomes

  • Westesen Acres:
    • Rezoning 2025-07: Approved unanimously (8-0, with one abstention on minutes but not on this vote).
    • Preliminary Plat 2025-05: Approved unanimously.
    • Final Plat 2025-05: Approved unanimously.
  • McCaslin Subdivision:
    • Rezoning 2025-08 (AG to C-O): Approved unanimously.
    • Rezoning 2025-09 (AG to C-2): Approved unanimously.
    • Preliminary Plat 2025-06: Approved unanimously.
    • Final Plat 2025-06: Approved unanimously.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following the final vote.

Meeting Transcript

Our computer says it's nine o'clock. You can block on the wall and set. Good morning. I'm gonna call this meeting of the planning commission to order and ask for a roll call, please. Dart. Here. Malone. Here. Dakon? Here. Baker. Here. Cochrane. Here. Records. Here. Yeah. Here. Here. We have a quorum. And according to Section 841412 of Nebraska Revised Statutes. A current copy of the Open Meetings Act is available for review and is posted on the wall. The Council Chambers. You all have a copy of the minutes of the March 18th. 21st. March 21st. 21st. March 21st. Meeting. You've all had a chance to look at that. Motion in regards to the Mr. Chairman, I'd make a motion to approve the minutes of the meeting held on March 21st, 2025 as so written. And second any discussion. I Dacon. Aye. Baker. Ricker. Abstain. Yaw. I again. Start. Aye. The motion carries. As we are moving through today's activities, would appreciate it if you will come to the front podium and give us your name and address for the record. As the procedure moves along, you'll have that opportunity if you wish. The first items, if you have the agenda are items four, five, six, and seven. They all pertain to the same parcel of property. And they are all hearings. But first is a hearing on the rezoning to rezone from District AG agricultural district to district R R2, Rural Residential District, a property located at 901 V Road, which is on Highway 50A. The next item is for a preliminary plat for that same property, as well as the final the uh final plat for that property.

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