Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

You know it is interesting.

Yes. Good morning. I [clears throat] will call the North Planning Commission uh meeting of January 6, 2026 to order. Inform the public of the location of the open meetings act in the northwest corner of the building and ask for roll. Wait here. Sock

here. Simson here. Hubky. Hurt here. Kubby here. Griffith here. Kee Ronfelt here. Ask for approval of the full agenda. Move to approve.

All commission members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. Consideration of approval of the minutes of the December 2nd, 2025 planning commission meeting. Approved. Second.

All commission members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. I will open up the public hearing at the request of the Norfolk Area Child Care Collaborative to consider a conditional use permit for a daycare center on property addressed as 104 South 10th Street. I don't know. I don't know why it's not popping up. Oh, stinker. Is there anyone here to speak on behalf of Should I fill this out?

Yes, please sign. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Beth Shashakant and I'm the excuse [clears throat] me, the project manager for the Northfor area childcare collaborative. As many of you are aware, the Northfor area has a documented shortage of licensed child care, which has direct impacts on working families, local employers, and the overall economic stability of our region. The Northfor Area Childcare Collaborative is a local nonprofit organization formed to address this need in our community through a sustainable business-led model. Our mission is to establish a replicable child care cooperative tailored to Norfork's needs, one that ensures access, promotes workforce stability, and fosters regional economic growth. Our current business partners are DEOS, Elorn Valley Bank, Flood Communications, and Northeast Community College. We also have support from other area businesses and nonprofits including Beckenhower Construction, McMill CPA and Adviserss, First Presbyterian Church, Norfork Family Coalition, Communities for Kids and First Five Nebraska, which have now joined together as Early Futures Partnership, Northeast Nebraska Growing Together, the City of Norfor and Norfor Area Economic Development Council, the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, and the University of Nebraska Extension, the Northfor area Community Foundation and more. Kids Collaborative. Our proposed childc care center would be located within the existing educational space in First Presbyterian Church at 104 South 10th

Street. This space was originally designed for community and educational use and is currently underutilized during weekday hours. Repurposing this space allows the community to meet an identified need while making efficient use of an existing structure without the impacts associated with new construction. A child care center is compatible with both the church's mission and the surrounding neighborhood. Churches are traditionally permitted to serve families and provide community-based services. The proposed use is consistent with that role and with the intent of conditional use provisions which are designed to allow flexibility for uses that serve the public interest while remaining compatible with adjacent properties. We have no plans to make any changes to the exterior of the building other than the addition of a fenced in playground on the east side of the property. The large parking lot across 10th Street will be utilized by parents during pickup and drop off times, preventing congestion on 10th Street between Northfor and Madison avenues. The center will operate as a licensed child care facility, accommodating between 65 and 71 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years or pre kindergarten and will comply with all applicable state and local regulations related to safety, staffing, traffic management, and hours of operation. The collaborative is committed to being a responsible operator and a good neighbor. Granting this conditional use permit would allow Norfor to expand child care capacity in a manner that supports workforce participation, strengthens families, and makes effective use of existing community infrastructure. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have.

As far as the discussion we've had is the safety of the children, drop off pickup obviously is probably the number one priority at that at that point as far as any sort of crosswalk and where is the entrance the [clears throat] main entrance where you know you force parents to park in the parking Mhm. And then at what entrance? Because obviously there's the north entrance, the south entrance, and that main entrance. Which one is your primary? So our primary entrance is kind of the middle of the block there, that sidewalk. Yep. Right there. That would be our primary entrance.

And that's where you'll have the playground, right? Uh yeah, the playground would be in that grassy area just um the first playground would be below the sidewalk there. and then potentially expand playground to the other side of the sidewalk. Gotcha. I do have a little schematic drawing.

I mean, I just I think it's a great project. I mean, it's obviously well well needed in this community. um in in particular as far as the need I guess with the city Steve I guess is there a need for a crosswalk. I believe there probably is um I think some conversation around a speed table there where that main entrance cross sidewalk is extending that sidewalk on the east side to connect into the sidewalk. Um if that's where people are going to go as they're parking in those lots. You can just kind of see they're going to walk to the back of the cars and and walk out of those lots. Um, I think if there was a crosswalk where the hat where your cross mark is would make a lot of sense. Um, [clears throat] I don't know. There'd probably be some signage required. There are some standard uh uh crosswalk signage. Um, you know, should we put a crosswalk down at the south side where a crosswalk would normally be um as well? probably uh just due to the the location, but I think as a function of the facility, a midblock crosswalk just from a pedestrian safety makes a lot of sense. Uh essentially, it's a school, so you know, it kind of falls into the safe routes for schools. Um, we certainly want wouldn't want to miss

a step there and have [clears throat] an accident. Um, so

is there any signage planned at this time? You know, I guess even to make people aware as they're driving down this street of like hours and the function that's happening. Um, so we do anticipate at least at the beginning maybe putting a temporary sign along the playground fencing. Um, and then by our front entrance we'll have signage with our name and logo. Um, right now we do not have plans to add like a marquee sign or anything, but um, the church does have one and um, it's possible that maybe we would just kind of add on to it in the future, you know, a little something above it possibly.

Thank you. I guess as far as the the function of the conditional use I I mean I like I said project is I just don't want to miss a step like Stephen said and and fumble fumble something like this that something that we can't take sure you know so I just as part of the conditional use permit would you guys be okay as far as working with the city to understand okay this is what we need to That would be a part of the if it needs a crosswalk and it needs a speed speed table, you guys as a as a collaborative would be okay with part of the condition. Yes.

Okay. The cost of having that installed will be bured by the applicant. most likely. Um,

yeah, I don't know if that's a conversation we need to take to some sort of a traffic safety committee. Um, I mean, it does sound like in her reading the city's there's a partnership out there um around child care facilities and and just the need for child care. Um, if that's a way we can as a as a city kind of participate in that and and help make that happen, I think uh I think the city would be willing to do that. Um, we we'd need to identify kind of where that would come from. I I don't know what that cost even is, but I I would I would just guess there would be a willingness for the city to participate in that cost.

And as far as the main function [clears throat] south, they're mostly on that kind of straightaway portion. Yes. Yeah. That that was my biggest concern as far as crosswalk figuring

is there within the conditional use permit. Are we going to specifically disallow curbside drop off southbound? I I I think on that that west side because doors flying open, cars coming by, kids getting out. I understand. I I don't know how the traffic is in the morning going,

but I just know we we did kinder music from time to time and that's where it was at. And when drop off, I mean just on a random Sunday at two wasn't bad, but at this one, you know, I I don't know how much congestion and stuff there is. I don't Do do you guys even what? [clears throat] Well, yeah, parents would be walking them in, but it's a question of whether they would be allowed to park on the curb and bring them in, I think, is the question, but yeah, absolutely. Parents are bringing their kids in.

Do you know about We have a couple representatives from the church, so I didn't know if they knew about congestion in the mornings. I I think it it could be something that's evaluated. If it's unknown, we could put it in there that it would be evaluated, but with a potential to disallow if there seems to be congestion issues or safety issues that could again that could come back to some sort of a traffic safety committee or something and we could evaluate that. But, um, you know, we're running into these issues substantially down on sixth and fifth at the junior high right now, and we're working with the school district and the police department to try and figure that out. And, you know, we just don't want to recreate an issue here.

I mean, I know what it's like to run late everybody. I think it's something to consider as far as as long as we can get it right. Appreciate that.

Construction. Um, not significant, but um, the main thing that we need to do is put in fire suppression sprinklers. And so the work that we need to have done, we think could take anywhere from four to 6 months. So now we're looking at potentially sometime this summer, but we have time as far as putting together the plan. Yeah.

Thank you very much. Appreciate your time. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone else that would like to speak on behalf of this project? Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing for discussion. Do we have any thoughts on uh time for the something like this? Five 10 years.

What are the Yeah, I brought up uh one that we did. So, these are kind of the conditions that we put on the one across from Johnson's Park here a few years ago to the north of Johnson Park. So, they were 10 years of operation. Um some things that came out at that point were, you know, neighborhood parking. So kind of similar to what you all had talked about also. So I thought this might kind of help you guys with the conditions a little bit.

Maybe it was uh brought up but u and I missed it. Hours of operation. It would be standard childcare hours probably 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening. So, if we were to include the language um to be conducting an evaluation with that potential to disallow the curb parking or curb drop off, would that delay the project in any way like pending the evaluation?

I wouldn't think so. So I mean we could write the condition that it will be evaluated and if necessary be put in place and so if it's not necessary then we don't deal with that condition. Okay. Great. Is there is there anything that we need to include all staff andor patrons must park in the parking lot. I mean, I don't want to limit the scope of it at all, I guess, but is that necessary,

Steve? How would you put that? I mean, would you put a condition that pickup and drop off shall be from the parking lot on the east side of 10th Street unless it's allowed for building for curbside drop off after evaluation or something like that. Yeah, I think we can structure some language around that.

Okay. [clears throat] Is the five foot is that anything in statute for a dayare or anything like that? Not quite sure. I have five. Isn't it four for a daycare as a minimum? Is that what you were planning on doing? Were you trying to go bigger? No, we're like a 4 foot seat. Okay.

Four foot seats. [clears throat and cough] kind of distract from aesthetics. I guess there's no other aesthetic things that trigger with construction like that. I'm going to go back to the parking. I think if we're going to move forward with doing crosswalks and [cough and clears throat] stuff like that, just to avoid people parking over top the crosswalks, I think that needs to be in there right away.

Is there essentially be at that crosswalk the big old white blocks that will be paint on the street? That if the crosswalk would be put in, I'm just picturing like the white rectangle boxes on the street that will be painted on Yes, I would imagine you'd have the kind of the standard signs. You know, there's a sign specific to school crossings. Um, so I would envision that sign with a a sign with a crosswalk and a pedestrian and a child in it. That would be an advance. You'd have the speed table. The speed table. Um, if we did just a standard gray concrete and uh and uh it would have to have to have a a crosswalk your your standard crosswalk painting. That's probably the right way to go. I was thinking you could do like what we did on Prospect with the kind of the colored stamped. I think that defeats the purpose a little bit in this case. So, I'd envision more the white rectangles

discussion. I would just say I do think this is a wonderful project and um our community should be proud that our community members came together for this collaborative and to come up with such a costefficient way to um serve the desperate need for child care in this community. Um, and I definitely appreciate the importance of the safety of the children. Um, especially in traffic, but I would just hope that our conditions don't delay the project or, you know, cause s any significant difficulties because of the significant need of more child care in our community. So, just want to keep that in mind as we're writing the conditions. And um you know I know that the collaborative are really good community partners and I just want the the city to be a good partner back to them as well.

When is this intended to be open and functioning?

They said four to six months of construction. So do you want me to read you what I have written for conditions? Just make sure I haven't missed anything. So, 4 foot fence. Hours of operation Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 6:30 a.m. PM. Um, if needed after evaluation, no curbside drop off pickup on the west side of 10th Street. Drop off pickup of parking and parking lot on east side of 10th Street unless allow curbside on west side of 10th following evaluation. and work with the city regarding pedestrian safety with a midblock crosswalk at a minimum. I'll make it sound better, but those that's the general idea. [laughter] Did I miss anything?

Uh time frame. Oh yeah, 10 years. I mean is 10 years agreeable? I guess kind of the standard I guess with some of these conditions are just general.

Any other discussion? Take a motion. I'll make a motion to have city staff prepare a conditional use permit for discussion and action at the next regularly scheduled planning commission meeting for a daycare center on property addressed as 104 South 10th Street. Second.

Have a motion to second. voting in the affirmative. Wait, Sock, Kooie, Griffith, Hawford, and Simonsonid. M stating Ronfeld. Motion carries. Thank you. I will now open up the public hearing at the request of Four Cylinder Auto Sales LLC to consider a conditional use permit for automobile sales on property address at 600 West Omaha Avenue.

I can have you sign in. Okay. [clears throat] Hi. Yeah, my I'm Jean Solasur from Forcylinder Auto Sales. So, I would like to get a conditional permit for the the place that I I rent for the business. So, I would like to I wrote a letter that it would be better for me because you know my English is not that good. So, I only have four copies. I would like to give to you just to uh to explain what is my my project. I didn't know it was going to be that much.

Um, so which um building cuz it's this whole square here. What building would you have the auto sales at? We currently rent the both buildings. Okay. So for the for the dealership, it's going to be the one on the front. That's so that brownish one. the that Yeah, that one. Okay. And the back one is is going to be for the service for the for the CH. Yeah. Okay. And they're all connected together like inside. Yes. Has some some pictures right here. I'm going to show you really quick. Yeah, that'd be great. Okay.

Okay. That' be the service area. So they collect.

Okay. So we we still need to do some work, but I I stopped like spending more money after we get the condition permits and and see how the meeting the hearings go going on. So if it looks better after, you know, before open it, we're going to do some paint job and fits and stuff. But I just wanted to explain like what are our total space for cars in the main building and the front and the back. So we have like about 23 spot for cars including the service and the on and the show on the showroom and the and the parking on front. We also have like a four parking lot for any client or customer that you know want come to the visit the office. So

where do you uh anticipate that that parking to be and will it be marked then with those yellow lines? Yes.

Yeah. Where where where will the parking be in the back that back lot? the the parking lot in the back belong to the to the there are two office right there in in the same corner they have two different right there so the parking lot in the back belong to them they have like a 14 12 spot for them my parking lot will be in the one in the front which is going to be uh hot that side for I have it could be for seats spot for for the car dealer and also the other side will be for the the the client for the for the for the visitor parking lot. It's going to be a sign with a

visit parking log. I have like a four four five more spot for for them. Okay. So that gray building on the corner that is a separate business from you. That's a separate business from from me. Yeah. Okay. Two different business right there. Two offices. Yeah.

My my concern here and I'm not here to squander your project. I just want to make sure that he's up to code on all of the it this looks like a very very small space for whatever the parking will allow for customers, for staff. I just don't want to bury him in the corner by granting the permit when not meeting certain standards. So part of the state license is 10 spaces for display essentially. And so you said six will be outside so four would be inside.

Let me show you. Okay. This is the outside. We have a six spot for display plus four four spot for customer. Mhm. And this is inside the building. So this is one, two, three, four. See, there's eight more. Okay. And this is the this is the same building, but this in the back for our service area, but we can also have some cars over there. Okay. But for ch for this place we already have 14 uh eight plus it's 14 spot for perfect. So I know that for the license we need at least 10. Yep.

So yeah I mean we going to start as a small business. I know they have I don't know if I'm going to have more than 14 car like already. Maybe it's going to take some time. And probably I we need like a find a different building after a couple years when the business growing up and I'm willing to do that. But for now I think that 14 spot that I have right now in the front plus the SP I have in the back it would be enough for what I can what my own capital I can work. So

yeah, that's why we we have to rent that building for for the the business. Um I'm still a little bit concerned about parking just because um Omaha Avenue the parking there or excuse me the um the street there I mean traffic seems to flow pretty quickly and so just giving people enough time to come off of the the street and onto your lot finding a spot and everything like that um without having to like slow up and be like oh where am I going to park? That's kind of my concern because then that disrupts traffic on Omaha Avenue itself. Do you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, I I mean I I understand what you say. Show how the front looks. Mhm. Like so it will be like a six se six spot for or car for sale. Uhhuh. And this going to be our parking lot, you know. Okay. So this in Omaha Avenue. Mhm. And even for any kind of that you guys have over there. It's kind of hard sometimes to get to the from the building because it's a traffic. So, I mean, it's a regular traffic over there. So, I guess

okay. So, There would be no way for someone to drive in one one curb cut and out the next. You have to turn around in there to exit the property. So the turn around you have literally like that small area.

I think about my big truck. I mean it's really hard to get my truck in areas. So to turn around like that I' I'd have to turn around in the street. And that would allow for one customer only

back which is not ideal space. I want you to be able to do what you want to do. I I don't want to limit that in any fashion. I I'm having a hard time conceptualizing what that would mean if I were to pull in there to buy a car and there's one spot available because you you have to you have to have six or whatnot in the front. Val, are there any um [snorts] requirements to how many spaces are required? I guess

for parking. Yeah. Right. So, the state needs the 10 for display and then for sales, we have one space for each 2,000 square ft of open lot sales area for display. So, he's probably under that 2,000 square ft, I would guess, or close to it. So, you'd need one there. And then for the service, two spaces for each service bay plus one for each employee, but not less than five. And he was saying there's [snorts] that parking space behind where the service station would be. [clears throat]

It's not technically right. The parking lot is not we we are not able to use the parking lot but inside the building we have nine nine different spot for service essentially you you need to access your service building you'd have to drive through the parking lot. Yeah we we are able to do that because the service door is the service garage door is in the back. So right we have to how many service bays do you have the service how many service bays I mean we already have seats six

seats uh six different spot is there six doors no is only one only one door

access parking Where are the employees going to park? Yeah. Uh yeah, we only have four four uh parking lot for employers um visitor um and clients, customers. Right now the business run just with only one guy and the other one is going to be me. So two two total employees. Two total employers. Okay. So how many parking spots then would that?

So for the service you would need it's at a minimum of five and then you would need one for essentially the customer parking for the um the sales. So six that plus the 10 for the display. So you'd need at least 16.

So do the employees park inside? I mean we right now we do that. I mean when I when I go there as long we I don't have any car inside we I just park inside the building. Okay. And my partner he does the same. So yeah we we usually park inside. So just in case that we have more than 15 car for sale, we have to park in the four different parking that we have to confront for visitor or employer. Otherwise, we can park inside. Okay.

I am having a very difficult time figuring out how it's just logistically possible.

Yeah, I just had to This is how we want all of I mean I like I said I understand pictures. What I what I struggling to kind of is where am I going to park when there's six vehicles in the front because that's what state has at least you're going to have 14 vehicles is essentially on display. There's literally one parking space that anyone could park and with the congestion in that parking lot and it it's kind of a halfaphazard way of putting the vehicles for display and that allows for one space to turn around.

Also, there should be no parking anywhere within the the footprint of the approach. You got a very wide approach. I don't know exactly the history of all what's happened there, but my guess is that that approach probably has existed prior to some of the addition of those buildings that was probably there when just the original white building was there. But I I don't know. But after that east west that long east west building was added, it essentially negated the function of the approach. But still the approach is there. It it it is intended to function as an approach. So you could not park any vehicles in front of that. No on street parking. I just I don't see how it's functionally like possible. Unless I'm missing with no access to that back area, the back parking lot.

Yeah. I mean the my partner he currently have the shop over there. I mean that place work as a shop for two years since two years ago. Um that's every time that he has a customers, they just park on the front the building just in the area that I want to keep for that. Um it's been like that and it's never been like a really a big issue. So

I'm glad I'm glad that you're you're still able to run a business out of out of that. I think that's it's tight, but it's functional. You're making it work. You're still But as far as the actual auto sales piece of it, I I can't see it and I don't I don't want to grant something and then have it not work and then you be left in the corner, right? I don't I don't want to back you into a corner with standard. Does this bring in anything with corridor? It doesn't necessarily because they're not changing the impervious coverage or the building at all. Yeah. And really it's it's a conditional use permit because it's a C1. It's our lowest intensity commercial district. And so auto sales are not outright permitted in C1 which is why we needed to do the conditional use permit.

Yeah. Well, there is a many car dealers in that the same street, right? They're just a different zoning category. They're a higher intensity C3. Yeah. And I think they, you know, have probably a little bit more space to work with than this specific spot.

Some of some of them does. I mean, it looks different in this one because all almost the used car dealer, they have like a one liter office and they have the display outside, you know, do you can see like a 10 15 cars in a parking lot. So, so they only have like a one small building for office and that's it. So, the different with us that we're going to have the car inside or two buildings. So, that's why it looks like a tiny half a small office with a big parking lot. We h we also have like a really I mean good enough uh spot for car inside and the construction. So

it's not the inside that I'm worried about. I'm worried about the the customer. Where is the customer going to park? You can't looking at the pictures you can't have more than one customer at a time.

No, I have four sport for for customers. Four different parking lot for customer. right here. But then how are you going to get out? How is that C customer is going to have to back out onto Omaha Avenue?

Well, that building is like that you have any any business that you have over there that that's a way park over there. I mean I I understand that you have to go back but I mean there is no way that that we change because that's the parking that we have that's that's a parking that that building I mean but right now you don't have six cars in front. Yeah. So most of them can just you know just go like there's there's an actual flow to it. Yeah. Well at the same time I can't work with that. Maybe we'll make four car and maybe fast for people for

So, will you look at this picture? Mhm. You're saying there's four spaces, four spaces on the east side of the the main door. Okay.

Steve, is that what you were talking about? Can they park in front of the the approach or are you saying they can't park in front of the approach on the east side of that bay door? So, could they take a couple of the cars of the six, open up a pathway that they could back out and then kind of cut through the rest of the front of the building? Is that what you guys were thinking? I envisioned the ingress off of the approach on Omi Avenue and the egress through the alley. Right.

So, could they fit a few more cars on the inside for the display and remove some on the outside so that you have a pathway? And from the picture here, they must barely have 20 ft from base of the building to the We sorry we do have 20 ft. You also have to think about if someone wants to uh test drive a vehicle, you're going to have to play opposite test Tetris.

If there's one in the corner they want to test drive. I don't really see how that site is function requirements of the statute in terms of parking Deep breath.

Still a public hearing, too.

Yeah. So, is there anyone else at this point that would like to speak on behalf or against this specific Okay. My name is Jane Becker. I live at 611 West Indiana, which is the house behind the Fastenol building, which is right on that alley. Now, I have nothing against you opening it up. I know we've seen you a couple times already, but the only thing is is alley. The alleyway you're talking if you goes through the alleyway and out, that alleyway is used for semis. It's used for all the apartments. It's used for I mean that alley is a very it's almost a street versus them using six street. So my only concern is if you have somebody coming through that way and coming out the alley, that building is so tight, you're not going to see anybody come pulling out into the alley that is coming down the alley. That that's I mean that was my only main concern because we've seen so many people try to pull out of that alley

where Fast and All is and go on Omaha Avenue and almost get hit because it is a very tight alley. And I I don't believe the DOT would have any jurisdiction over this. Um, but backing out onto the state highway, I mean, that's probably something that if there was going to be a desire to try and allow that, I' I'd need to take that to the DOT. Um, I'm not aware where that's allowed. Whether or not they would have any jurisdiction over that, I don't know. At this time, is there anyone else who like to speak on behalf this specific? Seeing none, I'll the public hearing aspect and open it up for discussion on what is

I guess my initial thoughts is I'm not in in the business of telling people how to run their business that's not what I do but I'm struggling with the fact that we granted this Is there a downside if we grant it? I guess is the question I have. Whether or not it meets logistics, meets statute, meets all of that. Is there a downside to it?

But I I I just I don't want a state of chaos that could cause accidents, you know, whatever. Right. It's a very very busy. Is is is the company currently licensed with the state as a dealership? So far we I have the the lease uh the company that ID but I don't have the license yet because I need get this this uh conditional permit. I have almost all of the document ready. I just need I just waiting for this. Uh

so our conditional use permit would be more or less like an endorsement for you to use to apply for your license. That's kind of what I'm afraid of. If this yet if you already had your license,

so a little history of that. Um, when people try to get a dealer's license or like a daycare license, the state asks for a zoning compliance letter from us to say that the zoning is correct to use that. And so because the zoning didn't outright permit it, then we have to like attach the conditional use permit to say they've gone through the process and now it's okay for the zoning compliance letter. So that's that's why he doesn't have his dealer's license because it wasn't zoning compliant without this.

I just thought if he was already operating in another location and had license, he just wanted to open this or do you like his license? No, it it goes by the the address. So even if you have one over here, if they stop there or open a secondary one, they still require a zoning compliance for the new location, too. Yeah.

To me, there's no way in which this I mean, as it sits right now that it fits and would work, it's extremely tight. Um, I just I I can't see it working and operating safely and giving customers, employees, cars enough room. So, even if the zone did allow for dealership, like you said, C3 zone, there still would be the same parking requirements, right, for this type of business. Correct. Yes.

So, that would still be a problem. Any other discussion? I guess is there any way you can get access to that back parking lot or No, I could I could ask because they only use like a three spot for the park for for the parking lot. I think if if like the front was strictly for display [clears throat] then you had like a no parking sign on the overhead door. and it said something the effect of like park around bag customer or whatever. I think it might operate that way. So that would probably be the only way I could see it safely operated.

Yeah, that's something that I can discuss with the with the with the lamp with the owner like trying to maybe we can use the back parking lot and they and the office can use the front one. Know that there's requirements they need that are necessary for that. a lot le to try to build them the future, right? Yeah. So, like there's apartments above that have parking requirements and whatever the square footage of those offices are would need a certain amount too, right?

Mhm. So, as long as they have that and they have extra, I mean, I was trying to figure that out. It doesn't appear that there's a lot of striping going on back there. So, you can't really count parking spaces easily, but uh if somebody could um help with that. So, I guess you have a a few options available to you. Um you can vote on it. You could if you have questions that if you wanted him to go back and ask certain things, you could table it till next time. It it's up to you guys whether you want to to get further information or you have the the information that you feel necessary.

I feel the only way I'd be comfortable voting yes would be to have more information whe

I I think a condition if we were to grant it you got to have that spot in the front open to come through.

Yeah. I mean, sorry. Uh my the main idea for me is always have the car inside. I mean, that's it's that that's that's a better idea for me because the weather, the sun, everything, it keeps the car inside the building. It's better for for the cars and people can just go in and see what we have or check online [snorts] or Facebook or whatever. I don't have have I don't need to have the cars in the street, you know, like show show the cars in the street. So most most of the time it will be like empty all the space. So they can use and also I can work with a with a 10 spot inside and I can use like two spot for car for sale and I can have the rest for people who who want to come who who want to get to the Omaha Avenue without go backward. So I don't know I I can I can work with that. I mean I know that I I'm not I'm not going to start with 10 cars right now. So it's going to take a while and [snorts] so yeah I mean I I can trying to make that word that work for the city um that work for the community of safe for everyone if the

I mean I didn't know about the Sonic uh C1 before rent the place. So I already got a list for for that kind of type business for a year and open the LLC and ID and the sign and everything with that address. So that's why I I'm willing I would like to trying to make that work because we have half away from from there

just to entertain. I would I would need more as far as if we were think about it. I would information on that back lot in agreement from the landlord that how many spots do we need? How many spots are the tenants upstairs? So, I'd be fine tableing the situation if that's how we want to go. I would take a motion otherwise either which way.

Yes, because already counting the service spot and the customers and the employer and the 10 spot for I [clears throat] already have a spot for enough of that. So I guess our big or big issues is the front with the Omaha tree. So that's why I need to trying to get some parking lot on the from the back. So, but I would like to know like a like what I should ask him the owner for like I need three more parking lot or because I already have enough parking lot for all for what I need but we're trying to save some space from from the front for the for the Omaha Avenue for the customers. So, would you like to trying to get a trees parking lot for my customers in the back parking lot or or or what what would you suggest?

You had six cars up front. Yeah. Two of them, you know, four of them were facing east and west. Yes. And then you had two up front, I think, north and south. and three more for the three promo. The requirement for the business as is now is 16 spots would be required, right? For like employees and customers, that all included.

That was the display, the employees and the customers was the 16. So, right now, if they're just a a maintenance service shop, they need five. Yeah, we we do have we do have eight in the main building, seats on front, 14, three more on front 17, and eight more spot in the service area. So, we have we are allowed to have 23 24 cars

with the two buildings combined. I don't know if you could legitimately count a parking spot in the front when there's no way to eress that parking lot without backing out onto Omaha Avenue. You can't necessarily kind of spot double parking got the cars up front. Do you do you have um that brown building on the back side there? Like if parking was allowed, do you have an entrance into the brown building or do you have to walk through the white building to get to the brown building? There's an entrance there. Yeah, we have

Okay, we have Yeah, we have a door in the aisle. We have a garage door from the back building. Mhm. Who goes through the parking lot, the back parking lot. And we have also a garage door in the front. So, do we want a table or do we want to entertain it as it is? Now,

I just I I want at least a little guidance as far as we can table it. We can we can vote against it obviously, right? This is a conditional use permit. As part of the conditional use permit, we want to ensure that this is okay. So, I'm just I'm struggling to comprehend the parking, right?

The 16 spots I I understand for the show cars and whatever, they can be inside. Well, I doubt that a customer is going to be parking inside. I don't visualize customer parking. No. Right up front.

So, do you want us to maybe contact the landlord and ask, you know, the square footage of the businesses already in operation there? Because then we can figure out the required parking for the businesses in operation once we have the square footage of what those are. plus the apartments. And then we'll see if maybe he can help mark those somehow that these are the apartments and so maybe it's not a freeforall potentially back there if that would be something he would be willing to do. And then a lot of times with conditional use permits we attach a site plan that shows how things are going to operate on there. So, is there a way to take and make it flat like the picture above and actually mark out parking spaces and then the flow of traffic and then that could become something as part of the conditional use so that it shows you can't park in certain places because you need the the flow through. I mean, we can see if we can help with something like that. If that's something that you want us to look into,

I think a site plan would be really helpful just to be able to understand and grasp all the different spaces, but the and the parking spaces, they can't be like double used like by multiple businesses. Right. Right. Okay. Yeah. So that's where we need to take the total square footage and everything that's being used and figure out that parking. Yeah, I think that at a minimum would be what I would need to feel comfortable even I want to work with you. I don't want to just shut it down if there's a possibility a possible way to make it happen.

I don't I mean you've already went through the work you do all the things. I want to be able to work with that. I just don't want to just No, this is a terrible idea. That's not what I want. Okay. So, at the minimum, I think we, you know, have the information. We see the information and we still

I agree with with that said, I'll move to table. A second. I'll second. Motion second.

We can do it to the next regularly scheduled if you want to. If we can get a hold of the landlord quickly, unless you wanted to bump it to to to give more time. Okay. because that would then be February 3rd

would be two meetings. Voting in the affirmative. Wait, Sock, Kubby, Griffith, Hoffert, Simson. Voting in opposition, Ronfelt. Motion to postpone until February 3rd, 2026. Carries. Thank you. Open the public hearing request park zoning change from R3 multiple family residential district to tiny house district on property addresses 309 street here. Hi, I'm Mike Miller. and I'm the owner of the land. Um, we just want to put tiny houses so we can have affordable housing for people. There's if you if you were a young kid coming out of college, you couldn't even afford to buy a house anymore. It's just terrible. But, um, and it would be a

good use for our land and we can get somewhere between 30 and 36 in there. And we're going to leave the existing streets the way they are. And there'll be parking in front of each one will have their own parking spot. And then we have the extra space between the city street and the and where we start is like 30 ft. So there's parking there for people extra people that visit can park. What's the width of the existing streets in there? 30.

Regular street size. It's a It's 30. It's like regular street size, but it's a oneway. You know, you go in one way and you come out the other one. It has sidewalks.

We're going to eliminate the trees except for two. According to measurements 217

I wasn't quite sure where the sidewalk was. Is it up here? I think right about there. So 27 28 maybe. Oh, it's hard to tell down here. Yeah. 28. I'm g I'm gonna go 28. Hard to tell. What's What's the street got to be? Let's see. 31 for parking on both sides, 27 parking on one.

It's a private street though, so I don't know what it's not. I think it's 27 if it's parking one side, 31 if it's double parking. One direction to be a private street does that matter?

No, we don't we don't dictate the in their streets.

Um, as for the tiny houses themselves, I'm a little new to it. So, what would that kind of what would you envision it looking like? Are they more elongated? Yeah. Go ahead and come up. Oh, um, I have that like that. You also sign. Yep.

Um I think they're about they're 14 feet by 36 feet. 14 ft wide. No. That's the the buildings. Oh, the lots are 25 by Yeah. 25 by 65. Oh, buildings, too. Yeah. What was What was the building? 14 by 36, I believe it was. It's just under 650 square ft. Yeah, it's like 644. So, and they would be all the same.

Mhm. Some would be different. Like some would have bigger kitchens and be a onebedroom. Some would be two bedrooms with a bit smaller kitchen and a smaller living room. It'd be a different on the inside, but essentially the same size. Yeah. Yeah. And then there would be parking within each lot. Yeah. On the front. In the front you'd have 15 ft to park. You couldn't maybe go front, but you could park in like sideways. Mhm. One car. Yeah. One car. Okay. least. Um, we're going to sell the we would sell them the the house, but we would lease the lot.

So, the house would be then owned by them. They would then just pay Yeah. Lot rent. Lot. And we're finding them from about 50,000 is what Yeah. they think they can buy them for. 40 to 50. Mhm. And then they bring them up here from it's like place in York and there's place in South Dakota that we found. And again, I I don't know much about them. Are they Are they movable then or are they like They can be, but we would they won't have wheels. Yeah, they won't have wheels once we set them down.

Okay. That that's what just that thought came into my head as you said the the land itself would be leased, but then the building would be owned by them. So, I didn't know if that's what you're talking about. I don't know if they I don't really know how if they set them on pillars or I don't know what the city's going to require. Yeah, they have to be attached to the Okay. Yeah. I don't know if they want them on a slab or if they want them on a pillar. Yeah. So, yep, that's valid. Right. So, all tiny houses shall be placed upon a permanent continuous perimeter foundation. So according to building code whatever that means so that it it's

allow right so it would have to be a block or slab slab right so that would then say what how that reads is they would have to sell the home they couldn't just oh pick it up and move it correct that's when we were putting the tiny house district in place that is what the the council wanted us that so somebody couldn't just pull a tiny house in, plop it down during the nice time of the year and then pick it up and move it down to Florida or Texas or something like that. So, we wanted them to be a permanent tiny house. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. [clears throat] Um, looking at your drawing on here, does it still the you have the entrance, you have those two entrances, right? Off of First Street. Okay. So, that backside, will you still utilize that that you I guess make it to make it a U-shape that um drive on the other back side there? No. Do we still want to use that? What we think? Yeah, we have to drive through there, but it's not as wide. Like a one car. Yeah, it's it's not as wide. Yeah. Okay. There's no parking there.

My concern is just EMS and like how does that work in this situation? Does a fire truck need 20 ft? I think if I'm remembering what the the fire guy said, I want to say it's 20 feet to to maneuver. And there's a certain distance that they can go in before they would need a turnaround. And I can't remember what that distance is. And there's a turning radius involved with those long fire trucks to be able to come in one way and make those corners. Mhm.

Two corners on the back side to go out the exit. Cuz on the on the overhead view, it looked like that north side, north corner, it was a really sharp angle. you know seemed like a sharper angle. So that that was kind of my question. Oh yeah, it had we'd have to cut that one, you know, that lock. Okay. See, before there was a retaining wall in there. It's not there now. Okay. Since the city to took a

So would that still be the capability of EMS coming through going all the way through like still there? Yeah. Yeah, it's still functional. Would you allow parking on that backside? No. No, it's not. It won't be wide enough. Okay. How do um I mean, I guess this is just for the zoning change, but how do uh utilities look like underground? And um Oh, we're going to put all new sewer line and water lines in. Okay. And electrical cuz we don't know where nothing's going to be until

Mhm. And it and it will all come up beside the trailer so there won't be or the house so that it won't be nobody going underneath. So then that they'll build a little box on the outside. Have you ever seen those um across the dam at Yankton? Those tiny houses. Those are that's kind of what it is. And they build up know the boxes. So what so all the sewer water and everything comes out there and it goes into the side of the or right under trailer and up or house. Would these be all electric units? Yes.

Gas. No gas. Is that question for you? You had any conversation with them in terms of building code that they're obviously gone out and had some conversation on what they want to bring in whe Oh, no. It's like a a stick build house that um those

Yeah, because they still have to follow like the IRC codes and things like that. So, yeah. questions.

Yes.

They could sell it to anybody, you know, or we could buy them back, too. We could I wouldn't think they'd be too hard to sell. Yeah, I think it'd be easy to sell. Val, would the the riverfront overlay have any effect on the aesthetics of these units?

We exempted single family detached. So, not necessarily. Yeah. I mean, we do have some aesthetics in the tiny house district. Um, where was that? It's like you can use metal if it's certain like uh the fasteners aren't seen and that sort of thing, but they still have to look like a residential house is essentially what our code says. 16 by 30 foot.

Yeah. You're not going to put out something that looks like a garden shed necessarily. Yeah. You can get those at [laughter] You can get those at Costco.

This is what we said. It has the the finished appearance of a residence is so I mean it it leaves it up to some interpretation, but I mean if you see a garden shed, you know, a garden shed versus a a house, you know. So, if you went to the state fair, they had the displays at at the state fair them tiny houses. Do you have any examples of No, we don't have no pictures of I can look one up if you want me to. Would they all be generally kind of the same aesthetic as I mean the ones that are the same size? Anyway,

they'll be different colors. Yeah. And they're going to be asphalt roofs. They're not going to be tin roofs. Yeah. Oh, okay. Well, yeah, I guess. Will the You're just going to install them and then sell them or will you sell them and then build them based on what the buyer wants? Yeah. And we thought that the place would bring some down and then they just sell them off as they got multiple. Yeah. If people would like Huh. So, will you act as a retailer selling these homes?

I don't know. Not really. Just till we fill Just till we sell all the lots are there. Then we're not selling anymore for them. Yeah. It's not like just for them the business to sell some. We don't want to get this sale. It kind of cuts cost for us because

Yeah. Yeah. And um my wife says we have to put underground sprinklers in. So, are you guys like HOA type situation or I don't know how you do that because cuz we're going to do the mowing and everything so that they won't have they won't need the mowers and if they have a little garden shed, it's probably only for their bikes, you know. I mean, yeah. Do you anticipate trying to just keep it as nice as possible? I mean, anything's better than what it is right now, but I mean, just with that Johnson Park, it looks so nice there. Just keeping that same feel of trimmed up and everything. And we want as much grass as we can. Yeah.

But so we got to get rid of a lot of trees because you can't get grass to grow with them trees. Yeah. Yeah. But the only two trees I want to keep is them two big sycamores. And depends where they are at. questions. Okay, thanks. Thank you. This still public hearing discussion. I'm a residential homeowner near that area.

My name is Jim Spel. Let me get my glasses here. I live at 107 East Prospect Avenue. I'm just on the north side of Johnson's Park. So, I live at um 107 East Prospect Avenue and I've lived there for over 30 years and I don't know these guys. I'm not really trying to promote their project. Um I just want to say that it would be nice to have that developed. You know, it's been an eyesore for years. Uh they use it for, you know, Halloween um haunted houses and stuff like that. Um, it's never really been much of a problem. Even when there were mo mobile homes there, you know, people were always worried about sketchy kids walking to Jefferson. They're human beings, you know, they so they use uh Jefferson school. They'll be, you know, there'll be a little more traffic, but I'm not concerned about that much. Um, I've been listening to your conversations and you guys seem really cautious about how you go through things and and um making sure things are up to code. So, just as a as a resident that lives in that area, I'm not really worried about about their project. I think it'd be nice to have it developed as long as it's nice and neat. And I think that's what Northfor does, you know. So, I'm proud to be a resident here. And thank thank you for your work. And hopefully something like this can u make that area look a little bit nicer because Johnson's Park's awesome. I love it. Um I do have one question. Any any concerns or any um expectations about other zoning around that area near my home? I know that's probably a different question, but maybe something that residents that live really close to the park would be uh maybe concerned about in the future. So, that's probably

something you can't answer now. I'll come back and maybe talk to some some members uh later about that. But, thanks for your time and not really concerned about their project as long as it's done neat and to code. So, thanks. Anyone else like to speak on behalf? Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing discussion.

I agree with Jim. It's been a nice for years. It be nice to have that developed. We have a beautiful park right across the street and it looked the way it does right there. And I've actually seen the one that he's talking about in Yankton Park and I think that looks very very nice. It's aesthetically pleasing. Everything's all beautiful. I believe it has it has the uh potential to vastly improve the the neighborhood.

I also Oh, go ahead. You're good. I was just going to say I appreciate the effort um to build more affordable housing in our community as well as I definitely agree that's a need.

Yeah, I mean it's good to give people an option um a more affordable option and I mean you still have all the amenities. I mean, you have a school close by, you have a park, you have downtown within walking distance, you have the trail system. I mean, you won't have an issue selling lots if if you do this. So, um I I just it has the potential to look really good as long as it's upkept um and to the same aesthetic and everything is Johnson Park as is now. I think as far as as we kind of go down this road as you know uncharted territory of tiny homes what is I don't know if you could get a perfect area I think it's just a neat idea concept it's a great area for the traffic is still going to be light people that buy tiny homes mostly biking and walking and doing things anyways I'm I think a congestion but that's what they want to eliminate essentially it is the congestion I think

could we speak to the question about you know any potential zoning impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods I mean we're we're only considering this uh borderline of land for the zone change. So, there would be no impact, correct, to surrounding neighborhoods? I wouldn't think so. I mean, we're going from an R3 that it currently is to a tiny house. So, you're about probably about the same density as what you would be able to have as an R3. Anyway,

either that is the only residential or tiny home on that side of First Street. Correct. This is probably the last of the residential until you get a little farther into BR west of First Street or on the other side of um First Street into the park and that residential area. That's industrial commercial.

There's industrial to the north and then there's probably commercial to the south. Let me bring that up. So, so we are looking at this piece of property generally here, right? No,

this one. Yep. Knew I was looking for a triangle. So all the yellow is residential. Um down here, this is the Gary's project that have those apartment town homes that have been started. It's technically C2 zoned, but they have that mixeduse district overlay that allows the the residential as part of the the commercial, too.

What's zone just directly north of the R3 where we're considering? This is industrial up here on the other side of the railroad tracks. It's the uh the car mechanics. And then what's that? Yep. Over here. And there's quite a bit of space between the industrial.

Correct. You have the the trail and the the railroad in there. And Yeah. Yeah, because here's your trail that comes through. So, you're going to at least be on the other side of that trail. Thank you. Mhm. There's no discussion.

I'll make a motion to um consider recommendation of a zoning change from R3 multiple family residential district to RT tiny house district on property addressed as 309 North First Street. Second voting in the affirmative. Ronfelt, Wait, Sock, Kooie, Simson. Voting in opposition. Hawert. Motion carries.

Consideration of recommendation. Final flag.

Good morning. Stephen Ramiker, Granville Custom Homes, 4514 Howard Boulevard, Columbus, Nebraska. I am uh the developer. This is uh this is the final plat. I think they're doing this in one plat process. So, I'm just here to answer questions. It's pretty straightforward. You guys have seen this project several times before and it hasn't changed other than maybe some lines have been maybe it's been detailed a little bit further. But if you have questions, I'm here to answer. How many square feet of the homes?

Well, I guess it depends, but probably that whole our plans are to build about a 1500 square foot ranch on that per site. Any concerns? No, we've worked through the plat. It's essentially picking up on the east side uh a stubbed road that exists existence and going straight through and and teeing into 37th Street. Um engineering has been working with them on grading and the subdivision agreement and such so that it'll go to city council with those All right. Thank you.

Thanks.

I would make a motion to approve the uh final plat of the Fox Ridge subdivision. All commission members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. Val November 2025 building permit report.

Okay. So, since we didn't have the last meeting in December, we're doing November 2025. Um, so last year we had seven single family detached. This year we had three. No new duplexes or multif family. We did have the same number of single family attached two and two from last year to this year and we're about four and a half million higher than last year for total valuation mainly due to like um like the police station coming in and some city projects going on. Thank you. Any other open topics or concerns? Make a motion to adjourn.

So move Yes, please. Yep. I will put that in. Hour and a half. Oh, yes. I haven't had any caffeine. I just left. Have a good day.