Omaha City Council Meeting Summary - November 4, 2025
Omaha City Council Meeting Summary - November 4, 2025
The Omaha City Council convened for its regular meeting on November 4, 2025, to consider a comprehensive agenda containing public hearings for rezoning, preliminary plats, special use permits, and tax increment financing (TIF) agreements. While the majority of the meeting focused on approving various development projects, a significant portion of the public testimony and debate centered on the "Little Bohemia" (also referred to as Old Town Village) redevelopment, specifically regarding parking capacity, historic preservation, and affordability. The City Council ultimately approved all major items presented by a vote of 7 to 0.
Public Comments & Testimony
Little Bohemia / Old Town Village Redevelopment (Items 12-15, 16-19, 20-23)
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Supporters:
- Tom McClay (Clarity Development): Expressed support for the project's ability to transform the neighborhood, retaining historic buildings while adding density. He argued that parking concerns are often "perceptions" by chronic opponents and that the project uses efficient public street parking and underground garages.
- Caroline McBride (Rebel Interactive): Expressed strong support, noting she has operated in downtown Omaha for over 20 years. She emphasized the need for continued dialogue between neighbors to address issues like parking.
- Councilman Fesserson: Expressed support, viewing the project as revitalizing a historic business district and a way to balance future growth with history.
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Opponents/Concerned Citizens:
- Dave Hempel: Stated opposition to the current approval without further study, expressing concern that the neighborhood is already 98 spaces short of parking and that the new development will create a 313-space shortage. He urged for a comprehensive parking study using the 2018 walkability study data.
- Sean Colterman (Little Bohemia BID): Expressed concern regarding parking shortages (citing a 546 person to 119 space discrepancy) and the negative impact on existing businesses (citing a net loss of 7 parking spots due to recent construction). He argued against "paralysis by analysis" but requested a study to prevent future damage.
- Karen Bluvis: Expressed concern that residents are being discouraged from visiting due to a lack of parking, fearing the neighborhood could suffer the same fate as Blackstone with businesses closing due inaccessibility.
- Terry White: Opposed the density, stating that apartment buildings should not be built when parking should be prioritized for existing businesses. He argued the city is narrowing streets for streetcars instead of providing parking.
- Larry Storer: Expressed opposition, arguing the process is a "waste of time" as the decision is already made, and that the rezoning changes the cultural identity of "Little Bohemia" by removing that language.
- Grace Kelly: Expressed strong opposition to the proposed apartment density, citing statistical analysis that the units are significantly more expensive ($1,350 vs $925 median) and smaller, potentially displacing the historic character and reducing affordability.
Other Items
- Alexander Liu (Adventist): Raised concerns regarding ADA compliance, specifically noting that the total number of parking spaces may be understated if accessible stalls are not explicitly accounted for in the count, and expressed worry about accessibility for those with mobility issues in "walkable" districts.
- Donnie R. Johnson: Offered general support for community collaboration but was frequently reminded to remain on topic by the Chair.
Discussion Items
Little Bohemia / Old Town Village Rezoning and Plats (Items 12-15, 16-19, 20-23)
- Developer Presentation: Tom McClay presented the "Old Town Village" and "Little Bow" projects, highlighting the retention of 1880s buildings, the "Golden Goose" (Zlata Husa) restaurant, and 154 new units. He argued the project follows the Future Land Use Plan and utilizes historic tax credits.
- Parking Debate: A major discussion point involved parking availability. Mr. McClay argued that parking capacity is efficient and that the perception of shortage is overstated by opponents. He noted that parking garages are a core part of the plan and that public streets are shared resources.
- Planning Department Response: Director Dave Fanslaw and Planning staff defended the approval process, stating that the 2018 walkability study is being updated but a new parking study was not deemed strictly necessary at this time. They emphasized the city's goals for density, walkability, and affordable housing inventory, arguing that adding more housing units lowers overall prices.
- Specific Objections: Council members and the public questioned the lack of a specific parking study for the new development despite one being included in the 2018 plan. Councilman Goodwin pressed Planning staff on why a parking analysis was omitted from the new study update. Director Stuby confirmed a new multi-modal study (including traffic and parking) is scheduled for a Spring 2026 report.
Leverwood/TOD Developments (Items 26, 27-28, 29-30)
- Urban Village (Item 26, 20 units at 31st and Pacific): Developer Dan Griffith and Laura Tarpena presented the project. Council member Hug questioned the developer's experience with parking in similar projects, to which the developer responded that they focus on human design over car-centric design and that their projects function well with efficient parking usage.
- Affordable Housing Discussion: Dave Fanslaw noted that densification in the urban core is a key tool for increasing affordable housing inventory. Council member Rowe supported this, citing the "missing middle housing" approach.
Other Agenda Items
- Liquor License (Item 6): Application for Sip and Spice approved unanimously.
- Preliminary Plats: Indian Creek Village (Item 7), Orchard Hill Replat 18 (Item 8), MH Landing Replat 3 (Items 9-11), Lada Hooza (Items 16-19), and Greco Platte (Items 20-23) were all approved.
- Special Use Permits & Zoning: Various permits for scrap services, daycare, custom manufacturing, and a recreational club (Girls Inc.) were approved.
- Project Harmony (Item 69): Council supported a grant of $400,000 over five years for a crime analyst to assist in anti-trafficking efforts, with Councilman Fesserson noting the prevalence of the issue.
- Private Pools (Item 72): The Council moved to amend the municipal code to require fences around residential pools, banning the use of mechanical covers as a substitute. Fines for non-compliance were also established.
- Wildlife/Chickens (Item 73): Proposed ordinance to limit backyard chickens to 10, ban roosters, and require permits for coops larger than certain square footages.
Key Outcomes
- Sip and Spice Liquor License: Motion passed (7-0).
- Indian Creek Village Preliminary Plat: Motion passed (7-0).
- Orchard Hill Replat 18: Motion passed (7-0).
- MH Landing Replat 3 (Items 9-11): Motion passed (7-0).
- Old Town Village / Little Bow (Items 12-15): Rezoning to MBD, preliminary/final plats, and subdivision agreement approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- Zlata Husa / Greco Plats (Items 16-23): Rezoning, plats, and subdivision agreements approved for multiple parcels in the Little Bohemia area. Motion passed (7-0) for all related items.
- South Omaha/42nd & Weiss Rezoning (Item 24): Motion passed (7-0).
- 5835-5839 N 28th Ave Rezoning (Item 25): Motion passed (7-0).
- 3115 Pacific Street (Item 26 - Urban Village): PUR overlay district approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- 536/540 S 29th Street (Items 27-28): Rezoning to TOD2/MU; ACI repeal approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- 3206 Leavenworth Street (Items 29-30): Rezoning to TOD2/MX; ACI repeal approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- 2025 Annexation (Items 31-32): Zoning map and future land use map amendments approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- Special Use Permits: Scrap services (10409 Ice St), Daycare (17525 Redman Ave), ED Overlay (6820 Northern Hills Dr), Custom Manufacturing (506 N Skyline Dr), and Recreational Club (Girls Inc.) all approved. Motion passed (7-0) for all.
- Tax Increment Financing Agreements: Little Bow Historic TIF (Item 67) and Little Bow Village Mixed Use TIF (Item 68) approved. Motion passed (7-0) for both.
- Project Harmony Grant: Approved for $400,000. Motion passed (7-0).
- Pool Safety Ordinance: Amendment requiring fences and establishing fines approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- Chicken Ordinance: Amendment limiting chicken count and banning roosters approved. Motion passed (7-0).
- Consent Agenda (Items 42-47, 48-66): All items on the consent agenda and public hearing agenda items were approved by motion (7-0).
- Executive Session: Briefly convened to discuss personnel matters. Motion passed (7-0).
Meeting Transcript
Fesserson. Good one. Harding. Hug. Mr. President. And millions of vulnerable families going without their food stamp or SNAP benefits. To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four net income after certain extensions expenses can't exceed the federal property line, which is thirty-two thousand dollars per year. Last year, SNAP assisted nearly forty-two million people, about two-thirds of whom were families with children. In Nebraska, a hundred and fifty thousand or nearly eight percent of our families depend upon SNAP. As a former food pantry administrator, I can remember having to tell a mum mother of four that four dollars over her income put her over the eligibility for SNAP food assistance, which emphasizes the barrier that so many working families face. What a quarterback does. And I'm looking at this and I'm kind of freaking out a little bit. I'm like, what do I do? Do I go get a cup of water and dump it on that? Absolutely not. So I called 911, and it's station 34 up from my house. Who this summer I hosted those firefighters down for a grill out. And I called 911 and within it seemed like seconds. Is there smoke coming out? It's not my house isn't on fire, but that plug is going up the wall, and it's raised my attention. And I I called 911. The operator was absolutely great. Firefighters arrived in no time, and they took care of the issue. We got the breaker shut off. And before I I think that had I gone to bed and not gone downstairs, there's no doubt, my house would have been on fire. And I had two smoke detectors, not one in the back there where I should have. So the lesson I want to tell people is to have a plan for your family on those spring forward fallback days. And also what I don't have that I'm getting is a fire extinguisher. And there's all kinds of fire extinguishers out there. A couple of webs, a website and a phone number, or great fire department has.org. If you go to that website, there's great information on smoke detectors, how you can get free smoke detectors for people that are elderly or they can't afford them. It's a great it's a great website, and also you can call the public education office at 4024 3560. So I I just in a public service announcement to have a plan and get a smoke detector, make sure your smoke alarms are working and check on neighbors and family members, because if you don't have that, you're putting yourself and your family at risk. And also the brave men and women of the fire department. That as I gave an example, they responded, and I want to thank them. I always give those guys a hard time. They hit their horn when they go by my house at two in the morning sometimes. But I saw their dedication and their professionalism. I stood back and watched, and I was in awe of how great they are. So I hope somebody at least takes that with them today to help out a family member and always check your smoke detectors. Thank you. An affidavit of publication is on file, and a current copy of the open meeting act is posted in a white binder on the east wall of legislative chambers. Good afternoon and welcome to the meeting of the Omah City Council. As a courtesy to those in attendance and to facilitate the conduct of our business, we ask that you please silence or turn off all electronic devices. A reminder you will have three minutes to speak on an agenda item. Please stay on topic. If you would like your comments entered into the public record, you can email the city clerk's office at cityclerk at city of Omaha.org. The council members receive these emails, we read them. Finally, council members, we ask that we pull our microphones up.
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