Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

It's 7:30. We will call to order the November 4th Northfor Plan Commission meeting. Uh inform the public of the location of the open meetings act posted in the council chambers and accessible to members of the public and ask for role. Wait sock Simonson here. Pupy here. Her here. Ky Griffith here. Ke here. Ronfel

here. Okay. Uh approval of the full agenda. And before someone makes that motion, just wanted to we'll be looking for a motion to approve that with a removal of items eight and nine. The applicant stopped in late last week and said that he does not want to go through with that zone change anymore. But since the public hearing notice had already been advertised, we can't just not put it on the agenda, but we can remove it on the record here. I would make the motion to approve the agenda minus items number eight and nine. Second. Okay. Motion in a second. Please vote.

All commission members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. Okay. Take a motion to consider approval of the minutes of the October 21st, 2025 planning commission meeting. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. I'll make a motion for approval of the minutes of the October 21st, 2025 planning commission meeting. Second.

All commission members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. Okay. Number six, public hearing at the request of Carnegie Library Lofts LLC to consider a zoning change from C3 Service Commercial District to R3 Multiple Family Residential District on property addressed as 803 West Norfork Avenue. Anyone wishing to speak on that? Come forward. [clears throat] Morning. [clears throat] Oh, yeah. I'll have you guys sign in there, too. Okay.

Thank you. [clears throat] [snorts] Okay. Okay. Okay. All right.

Good morning. Good morning.

Uh, so my name is Audrey Michelle. I um I grew up in Northfor, Nebraska, but I I do live in Denver now, but owner of Carnegie Library Lofts. And I'm Patrick Moore with Good Life Architecture out of Carney and I'm representing Audrey Ezra Architect. Yes. Um so I have a packet in front of you just kind of explaining the project. Um just to run through the highlights of what we want to do here. So um purchased the library this summer and our goal with it really is to first of all preserve the historic landmark. It is on the historic registry. it is in the comprehensive plan as one of the buildings that Northfor does want to preserve and um and reactivate as an important part of the community. So, as I'm sure you're aware, it's been sitting empty as um an office space now for quite a few years. Um, so our plan is to, like I said, preserve the historic landmark, reactivate it as an important part of the community and then um attract visitors to downtown Norfor and uh get people enjoying the Riverpoint area. It sounds like the sign to Riverpoint is going to land in my front yard. So uh definitely want to make that a beautiful place for the sign to start people into downtown Northwork.

Yeah. If you guys are familiar with the property, it's at the corner of 8th Northfor Avenue. So, just west of that little train track there. Uh it really is the kind of the gateway to the downtown district, but it's in a transitional zone between kind of a residential neighborhood and the downtown. So, it's not really in the in the downtown proper per se as as a storefront fringe business. Right. Yeah.

Um so, those are our goals. Um and so we are seeking reszoning to get it out of the commercial district. um it has struggled a little bit here being an office. So, our overall vision um is to turn it into kind of a hybrid rental model um between short-term rentals and executive rentals. Um I've got the existing floor plan there for you to see. And then as well as kind of our plan moving forward um is to put four units in the building um and kind of keep with the library theme. The pictures that you see throughout the presentation are indicative of our design vision. Um but so taking if you've ever been in the library, the the first floor is this really beautiful huge open area. It's got um original woodwork. We found original hardwood floors. Um and then in the basement, it's got um the old tin ceilings are still there. So, our goal is really to save as much of that as possible and be able to bring people into downtown Norfolk in a very unique experience. Again, kind of keeping making it feel like you're still in a library. Um a very unique experience. and then make the the rooms um not so small. Um the vision again is to maintain that very open airy space highlighting um a lot of the architectural features. So we're looking at two units upstairs and two units downstairs.

Uh each of the apartments is a a fully kind of standalone residential unit. So it's not like a hotel room that might just have a little kitchenette and a bed. It's going to have a kitchen. It's going to have bedrooms. So, these these really do stand alone as a residential unit. Um, but the the value ad here is to be able to furnish them and offer them as executive rentals to give some flexibility to to who the occupants might be. It could be someone's there for a number of years or they might just be there for a week.

Yeah. So, again, operating um as you probably know, we we kind of did this in reverse. We went to the variance committee um um first and got a variance to the 10% short-term rental rule. So we are able to 100% rent as short-term um or kind of the executive 3 monthish or longer term giving the building some more flexibility versus um you know running it as um more of a hotel um space which you cannot have longer than 30 days. So this gives the building um as a long-term goal more flexibility. But again, our our overall plan is to get people into Northfor, get them visiting Northfor and give them a very unique experience highlighting this building. [snorts] Um, so like we said, the our explanation for zoning change really is about um being able to accommodate this short-term and executive rental model to ensure long-term flexibility for the building. And [clears throat] again um throughout the presentation if you flip past the um floor plans kind of shows um the design of it but the building uh we are looking at like I said four units uh which is too few to efficiently run it as a hotel um in a in commercial zoning a commercial hotel but uh we will be operating as a short-term and midterm rental to again get the historic building to flourish. Um, and then I found the biggest question to be, does this re reason resoning request um, fit within Northfor's comprehensive plan? Um, which I totally read um, and found

some really great examples honestly of what North Fork wants to do. Yeah. So, we're currently zoned C3 and around us is kind of a mix. Um, do you want to talk about that, Valerie, so I don't mess it up? Which what which we've got?

So, yes, she's right. Uh, this is the area that we're talking about the building. It is zoned C3 with C3 next to it, across from it, C1 below, and I1 across. Um, so there is some R3 when you get to the southwest. So, there is some residential close by. Um the commercial is there essentially to buffer the the major roads. Um so this would be similar to some of the other ones that we've been doing recently that um I will have to file an affidavit on this property when if it changes to R3 because they are surrounded by commercial and industrial. So the buffer yard goes to them if they change anything um instead of the opposite way around. So but that is the the general zoning and yeah the comp plan calls for office services in that area. Yeah. So again currently office which it has been now for quite a few years and they they did struggle to get somebody in there. Um but what we feel strongly about is first of all it is listed on page 77 as a major historic landmark that um deserves thoughtful presentation preservation and reuse. Um and another one I really liked was page 78 said Northfor is a place people want to visit, experience and stay along with providing unique experiences and qualities for the city. Um, so we we do feel that what we're up to fits into that plan. Um, and again, our goal of strengthening and sustaining the downtown business district with diverse services. So, you

know, I will say I like I said, I I do live in Denver and everybody I talk to is just like, "Oh my god, I didn't know I wanted to visit Northfor, Nebraska, but I sure am now. Like, let me know when it's open. Like, we want to come check it out." So, I'm getting a lot of really good feedback, not only from the Denver community, but I am um pretty active in the investment uh real estate investor world. And again, everybody's just like that is like such a cool building, like so excited for what you're up to. So, some um anyway, developing the region as a destination, unique experience. So, um I've got the map on um the following pages, but we're saying that we are compatible with a diverse mix of commercial and residential uses that characterize the downtown area. Um and again, we want to be in the prominent area with as the gateway into downtown, like making it beautiful, making it reactivated. um and taking this historic place that does have architectural significance um and getting people to be as many people as possible really to get through the building, experience it, and um I know just be a part of what's what Northwork's got going on.

Yeah. And not just the building itself, but we're getting feed on the street in the entire downtown district by providing a residential use adjacent to it that's going to see some some turnover. Yeah. Foot traffic for sure. Um, so I think we've pretty well covered what I have. Do you guys have questions?

Um, just my initial question just out of curiosity, honestly. Um, why why do the short-term rental um instead of just a hotel? So, just honestly the operating of the short-term rental of because again we can only get four units in the building and operating as a hotel looks like really to get it to pencil out we need more like six to eight units on it. Um yeah. Yeah. And then long-term flexibility, right? Like if the short-term rental thing becomes a fad and 10 years down the road, we want to rent these conventionally as apartments, this is a a flexible way to do that solution. Yeah.

Yeah. How how long can people stay as part of the short-term rental? Like is there a minimum and a maximum? No. No. So, it's one day or, you know, the executive rental can be monthto-month, which would be, you know, again, not my goal. Like, it it's not my goal to have this be where somebody like hunkers down to live. Um, but definitely um short-term rental would be my ideal, but we would love to have flexibility in there in case that's not how people want to use it, whether it goes to like nurses or um you know, executives. Yeah. I I didn't know if people could like rent it for a a weekend getaway or something like that or Yeah. what the idea was. Yeah.

Now, can you back out on the zoning map and show us the all the way down the Not that far. [laughter] I've got a copy as well in the packet. I think maybe three or four to the end of the packet. Is there adequate on street parking for four units? You know, we have a parking lot in the back. Um I haven't counted exactly how many there are, but I would say a good Yeah, we'll be able to have adequate parking as zoning requires.

So, there's like um um an alleyway in the back, but but um a parking lot that does belong to us. Yeah. Yep. Thank you. Currently being utilized by the people across the street. It's always full. Yep. [laughter] Yeah.

So, not to dig into your business plan here, is this going to be more find your room on Airbnb? Is this going to be Okay. Yeah. So, between Airbnb, VBO, and then I will have direct booking sites. I I actually do have um other short-term rentals. Um so, uses and then social media as well to to have people find it. Uh another one, just because you said you're from Denver, do you is this um short-term rental thing? Is this a thing that's becoming more popular in suburban or areas like that or across the nation? No. No. Denver is not short-term rental friendly.

Uh so they, you know, they do have some rules around that. Um the stuff that I own is um I rent to nurses and then I do have um an A-frame up in the mountains that is um you know the mountain resort areas are more short-term friendly um short-term rental friendly, but the city of Northwork um has some rules around investors coming in and you know renting in that way. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Any other questions, guys? What else can we help you with? Awesome. Thank you. You're welcome.

This is a public hearing, so anyone else wishing to speak can do so. Okay, go ahead and uh close the public hearing and open it up for discussion. I'll just say I appreciate the design architecture and matching it to the historic look of the building. Um, I think that's really cool look and um, modern yet still historic in nature. So, um, that I that I appreciate. And obviously the the downtown area is becoming more popular and people need places to stay and a lot of times close to the downtown area. Um, so, uh, I think it I think it fits well.

Yeah, I agree with you. And I'll just use myself as an example. When I moved back here um a few years ago from Omaha, I it was hard to find a place to rent for a short period of time where you're looking for, you know, a house or something else that long term. And so that part of it, I appreciate you explaining that because I think that's that's needed sometimes on the executive rental stuff. So, but with some flexibility in there, I think it'll be good for an avenue into downtown. [snorts] Okay. Uh, if there's no other discussion, I'll ask for a motion. We'll make a motion for consideration of recommendation of zoning change from C3 to R3 on property addressed as 803 West Norfol Avenue. I'll

second. Second. All commissioners members present voting in the affirmative. Motion carries. All right. Uh any other open topics or concerns. Okay. Take a motion to adjurnn. So move. Thank you guys. Oh, thank you. We're excited about that.

Great use. Great use for building options. Yeah, that's how we started.

[clears throat] That's why you use your phone. [laughter]

I use my dog. He is up somewhere between 10 to 5 and 10.