Planning Commission - Special Meeting

here. Bane here. Fudge here. Jet here. Forbes here. Moral here. And Vanville. There is a quorum present. Current copy of the openings meeting act of the state of Nebraska is on that wall right there. You're welcome to look at it anytime you would like. Uh item number two, approval of minutes from the May 27th, 2025 meeting. I trust you've all studied them intently. Move what? There you go. Second. Motion by Bane, seconded by Jet to approve as presented. Any discussion on that motion? Not Michelle, please. Let's see if this works tonight. And the minutes are approved. Okie dokie. We have a number of public hearings on deck tonight. Uh the first of which is item number three. Public hearing discussion consider action on a resolution regarding adoption of city Northplat Nebraska microtiff blight and substandard study. Dan lex property group LLC is prepared by the city of North Plat. Purpose of this hearing is to obtain public comment on whether the real estate described should be declared substandard and blighted pursuant to the Nebraska community development law. and for planning commission to forward a recommendation on to study the north uh recommendation on the study to the Northplat city council. Property is located at 1404 and 1420 Rodeo Road and described as lot 2 Gary's Replat and lands inside part of the north half southwest quarter northeast quarter section 32-14-30 and part of the south half southwest quarter southeast quarter section 291430 North Plat Lincoln County Nebraska consist consisting of approximately 2.08

08 acres. Judy, okay, we should have all received a copy of the review comments. Attached to that is the resolution and then attached to that is the actual blight study um that contains pictures and also some documentation on low to moderate income in the area. The city planning commission's responsibility in the blight and substandard determination study process is to take public comment on whether the real estate described should be declared blighted substandard and blighted as pursuant to Nebraska community development law and if the study is in conformance with the city of North comprehensive plan. The following statements should be considered and confirmed. The property as presented in the study meets the requirements to be declared substandard. The property as presented in this study meets the requirements to be declared blighted. The factors necessary to declare the property blighted and substandard are sufficiently distributed to impact development across the entire site and the development of this property to its full potential is in the best interest of the city of North and entire region and there are projects ready to develop in the area if they can meet financial goals of the developers. Nebraska state statute 1821033 regulates the percentage of city limits that may be declared blighted and substandard pursuant to Nebraska community development law and states a city of the first class shall not designate more than 35% of the city of blighted. Currently the city limits of the city of North contain 12,152.98 acres with 2,601.17 acres designated as blighted and substandard or 21.4%. The proposed study will designate another 2.08 acres as blighted and substandard and will not increase the percentage designated blighted substandard. City of Northplat comprehensive plan chapter 4 sets out several goals, objectives, and action steps for housing in the community. listed our object

objectives to creating sufficient housing stock to provide safe choices and options for the community. Mixed use to redevelop underutilized land with a mixed land uses that encourage new housing options. Workforce housing which is creating alternative housing options such as senior low to moderate income households. Housing alternatives provide incentives such as density bonuses, redevelopment of areas with substandard housing stock into affordable faith housing, including housing programs that encourage construction of multifamily residential units, and keeping pace. Prepare for future growth by extending city infrastructure to areas targeted for development. Planning staff recommends approval of the study and passage of the attached resolution. The study is in conformance with the North Plat Nebraska comprehensive plan 2011 meets the requirements to be declared substandard and blighted. By declaring this area blight and substandard, the city remains below the 35% threshold, leaving acres available for future blight and substandard declaration. Allowing the development of this property to the full potential is in the best interest of the city and the entire region. Um, again, the study is there. you can take a look at it and uh there is a proposed motion on the table. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them as I can. All righty. This is a public hearing. Um there are three of these tonight. So, I'm only going to read this once because you don't want to hear me read the same thing three times and I don't want to read it three times. So, listen up. Uh planning commission values your input, wants to hear from the audience during public hearings. Anybody wishing to speak must first be recognized by the chair. Once recognized, please approach the podium. State your name and address. Please keep your comments as brief as possible. Repetitive and excessively long testimony may be ended at the discretion of the chair, which makes the chair grouchy, so let's not do that. And with that, the public hearing is open. Anybody want to talk on this one?

Go on up. Thanks for coming. Just let us know your name and address, please. Jean K, 1111 Kuster Court, North Plat. Um, I can see what the hotel wants to do is make apartments. And in the newspaper, it talked about taking two rooms and adjoining them. How do you get acou uh accommodations for a family in there in two hotel rooms? I think you're talking about the wrong agenda item. Oh, we're on the third one. I Yeah, we're on three here. It's okay. Okay. Anybody want to talk about item number three? Going once, going twice. Motion to close public hearing. Second motion by Bane, seconded by Matthews to close the public hearing. Any discussion on that item on that motion, I should say, not item. If not, Michelle, please. And the public hearing is now closed. We'll talk about this one up here now. Questions, comments? Judy's taking complaints tonight. So what is their in ultimate and am I reading into this correctly? They want to make some housing out of this as well. Yes. Um currently they are kind of long-term rentals or like longer term transitional housing. Yeah. Yeah. And so they're wanting to redo it and turn them into that instead of just your long-term motel rentals. Um,

not all I know, but that's what they're looking to do. Major renovations from what I read. I move to approve the resolution and recommended adoption of the city of Northplat Nebraska micro tip light and substandard study Danle Property Groups LLC as prepared by the city of Northplat located at 1404 and 1420 Rodeo Road and approval of related actions. Second. Motion by Bane, seconded by Jet to make a motion to uh approve the study. Any discussion on that motion? This looks like it needs a lot of work. Yeah. If not, Michelle, please. And the motion is carried. This will go on to the city council for a public hearing on July 1st. Item number four. Uh, and I know because she told me before the meeting that Kathleen is going to have to abstain from this uh, discussion. So, just for the record, item number four, public hearing file number CU- uh, CU25-002. Discuss and consider action on application by Northplot Hospitality Inc. for conditional use permit to allow construction of apartments in a commercial building located at 21102 South Jeff Street in North Plat a B2 highway commercial district on property described as part of lot one Northplat hospitality first replat Northplat Lincoln County Nebraska Judy okay so you should have all received the review comments on this item and then attached to that is a location map and the justification for the project as stated

the is requesting to utilize the existing structure to exped expedite viable housing and save costs. The proposed use will not increase traffic and its current use as a motel. There is continual traffic to the area and that should be maintained or even decreased with permanent residences. The community is in desperate need of viable housing. In the next 6 to9 months, North Plat Hospitality, Inc. will provide a large number of housing units for the community in an all-inclusive type field that will be new and exciting for the area. It will both bolster community growth and help to satisfy the need for housing. Planning staff has no objections to the conditional use. The property is currently used as a commercial site. Zoning does allow for dwellings within a commercial building if approved through a conditional use process. Creation of apartments in the area should not increase traffic and should have minimal impact to the surrounding area. Um, with the conditional use permit, you are allowed to add conditions if you decide to approve it or whatever. Um, I don't see that the applicant is in the audience unless there's somebody that is representing the Okay. Again, this is a public hearing. Um, same rules apply that I read just a minute ago and without the public hearing is open. You want to try it again? Does anybody else want it? Make sure we've got the I've got the right Yep. We're on item four now. Okay. And you you if you want to sit there and ask us a question, you're more than welcome to do that. Yeah. What's your name and address again? 1111 ask. Thanks, Jean. Um I guess I have some reservations of turning into apartments. Uh because Okay. It's it's to fill the short term six to nine months. We're going to have some uh you know, we'll have some apartments available, but it's

going to take longer for the other place. What happens to that building and those apartments when the other uh housing gets built? What happens to that place? You know, it could deteriorate easily. Um as far as people renting apartments, going to have workers, people that come in, but you're going to have a various clientele in that place. You're going to families maybe that are down on their luck, maybe they've been evicted from one place, so they're going to come there. Um, I went into one of those places about 10, 12 years ago with my job. It was a motel room size and there were uh parents and three children in it. You know, I don't know what they have planned or anything, but I think of that uh what about the the property around it when people come into North Plat. What are they going to see? You know, maybe it'll look great now, but what's it going to look like once the other housing gets taken care of and people are moving out of there? My big question is what's going to happen to it? How much is it going to deteriorate and what's it going to do for the site when people come into town? Okay. Thank you. You have any questions for Okay. Anybody else want to talk on this one? Come up, Pat. Good evening. My name is Pat Keenan. I live at 2901 West Leota and I'm here representing the owners of the land across the highway. Uh I'm concerned about this project. Normally, I think that people should be able to do what they want to do with their property, but I'm concerned that this is our the first impression that people get when they come to North Plat is that

that entrance way. We've as a community have done a really nice job, especially in the last 18 months, the whole mall area, everything's looking so good. This ownership group has not kept that property up real well. if you do is get a cup of coffee and you'll you'll see that if you're going through Starbucks. I'm concerned about what it will look like when it leaves from a hotel that at least has a franchise looking over it till it becomes uh housing. The other thing that really concerns me just on a business thing is we're for the good of the community, hotel, hospitality is one of the best tax things there are. We have huge taxes. We have lodging taxes, occupation taxes, sales taxes, all that generate that help us all. And there's no better tax ever than have somebody from out of town pay it. I just hate to see this prime piece of ground turned over for something. All we're doing is kicking that can down the road. You know, six more years of the building. You know, they haven't kept the building up. It's flooded. The roofs are bad. I just think that it's uh that that that is not what we want on the doorstep of our community. So, thank you for volunteering to do this job. Anybody have any questions for Mr. Keenan? Anybody else? Come on up. Name and address, please. Sandra Jara and three South Hayes. And I'm here representing um the owner of the Fairfield and Suites. So, the building across the street. Um, and I just kind of do want to give my opinion on it. Um, prior to renovations that we've done at my property, the other side, we've had totes from them, storage containers coming into our land, trash, um, rain will come in, damage it, it gets blown over to our grass. Um, so kind of chiming in with Pat, it does not get

kept clean. Um, and I do think that is a concern if they're unable to take care of their hotel now, what it's going to look like as a short-term housing for this community. Um, and again, being right off the interstate, that is that first picture that these travelers are seeing. Um, so I do have concerns about that. Um, but that's all I had. Very well. Thank you. Any questions? Anybody else on this one? Rob Steppa, uh, 2311 Cedar Road. My concern is the size of those rooms and the occupancy requirements that are required now in residential um, per square foot on how many people can be in a particular residence. if particularly when there's a second floor. I don't know that that second floor is uh accommodated by any kind of sprinkler system. It's to me it could be a really if it's done and they spend ser a lot of money I guess it could be possible but I would surely try to restrict that the all avenues of escape can be provided uh to these tenants if they were in there and uh also the the accommodations for restrooms and meeting requirements of how many people can occupy a particular room by per square foot with the uh and also food preparation. I don't know if there would be food preparation in those areas, but those skills and uh uh effect that that would have on the property too. Just my thought. Thank you, sir. Thank you for your time. Appreciate all serving. Anybody else want to visit on this one?

Going once. Going twice. Motion by Bane, seconded by Jet to close public hearing. Any discussion on that motion? Not Michelle, please. And the public hearing is now closed. We're going to talk about this one up here tonight. Mhm. Hey, this is this used to be kind of the crown jewel of North Plats Hotel Community. It's not anymore, and it's sad, frankly. Um, but in my humble opinion, this is not an answer. I agree. I I think it's a wrong answer to accommodate a bunch of rooms that aren't being rented. Yeah. And I don't see any way it can turn out into decent apartments by renovation. Would take a lot of work in order to be viable apartments for people. Decent viable and after the amount of phone calls I received today on Yeah. Yeah. I had a few of those. Yeah. I I talked to a number of folks as well today, including a city council person who also indicated that this was a probably a pretty hard no from them as well. So, um it's yeah, this is too good a commercial real estate on the on the primo corner in the city of North Plat to have it be in the condition it's in. I feel bad for the residents around there, the other businesses around there because I I see this every day when I drive to work. So, it's kind of a shortterm fix to a long-term problem as far as that

structure in that area. So, yeah. And it's not the right kind of fix, I feel. No, I the hit the unfortunate thing is the hit you take on lodging tax because of the condition it's in already and then you remove that property from the lodging tax roles. It's a it's an important tourism asset that's frankly not being utilized because of the condition it's in. And this is in my opinion not the answer. So there is a motion there to approve. On the second page there is a motion to deny. And you can somebody can read one of those two and we can get on with it if you'd like or we can talk about it some more. I move that we find the request for a conditional use permit to allow construction of apartments in a commercial building located at 21102 South Jeff Street does not meet the minimum standards stated in North Code of ordinances section 156.322 and deny the conditional use permit requested based on the following factual findings. The applicant has not met the following minimum standard stated in Northplac code of ordinances section 156.322. The requirements are on the first page under that first motion. So you can pick any of those sides 3, four, and five. You shall in all other respects conform the applicable regulations of the district in which it's located. Is there a second to that motion?

Motion by Bane, seconded by Forbes to move to deny the conditional use permit. Any more discussion on this matter? If not, Michelle, please. So, this is a motion. This is a motion to deny. So, one denies. One denies. Yes. Okay. It's counterintuitive, but to vote for the motion, which is to deny, you would press number one. Everybody clear on that? And Kathleen is abstaining. And the motion is denied. Okay. So, this will still go on to city council because planning commission is a recommending body and it will go with um a negative motion or a motion to deny. Appreciate everybody showing up to pass their input along. We appreciate hearing that. Item number five, file number, it's also a public hearing. File number AM25-005, discussing consider action on an amendment to North Plat City Code uh city code of ordinances section 156.236 and section 156.237 changing sexually oriented businesses from a permitted use in I1 light industrial to a conditional use in an I1 light industrial. Okay. So, you should have all received a copy of the review comments and then a copy of the proposed ordinance. Um, we're not really changing anything other than to change it from a permitted use to a conditional use. So, it's not really taking anything out. It's just giving planning commission and city council a little bit more say in where these things are. Okay. This is also a public hearing. Same rules apply. Anybody want to talk on this one? Public hearing is open. I didn't say that out loud, did I? The public hearing is open. Anybody want to talk on this one? Going once. Going twice. I'll make

a motion we close the public hearing. Second. Motion by Bane. Seconded by Matthews from the bench. He's off it now. Any discussion on that motion to close the public hearing. If not, Michelle, please. And the motion to public hearing is close of public hearing is approved. So we're going to talk about this one up here. We talked about this a little bit at the end of the May meeting. So essentially this gives the planning commission and therefore uh by extension the council more control over what goes on in these areas and where they go. Any questions on any of that? I move to make a recommendation to approve an amendment to the city of Northplot code of ordinances deleting section 156.23. 236 B19 permitted uses in an I1 light industrial district and adding section 156.237F conditional uses in an I1 light industrial district. There a second. Second motion by Jet, seconded by Matthews to make a recommendation to approve the amendment. Any more discussion on that matter? not shell please and that recommendation is made. Item number six, discuss amendments to Northplat City Code of Ordinances regulating food trucks or food vendors. Okay. So, this one, um, basically all you have here is just two examples because that's all I could find at the present moment of some, um, regulations regarding food trucks, Grand Island, and the city of Fremont uses. Um, I have been getting a few phone calls. There's been an uptick in the number of food

trucks that are in um, Northplat. We look through our regulations. When people call in, I basically tell them you can't park on public property. Um, really the only thing it says in the code that I can see is you can't park in public street. So, I got to looking at that a little bit thinking maybe we should do something especially to keep these vendors out of public parks or something like that. Um, was kind of my thinking. Well, then I had gotten two phone calls from two local truck vendors who said, you know, you guys really need to think about regulating these because we're legitimate local food vendors. We've got our health inspections. You know, we do all this, that, and the other. And then some of these others that we've seen come in have no health inspections. You know, they just want kind of an equal playing field. So, I don't know what your thoughts are. I don't know if you think it's something we should look into. I don't know who would be the department that would be enforcing it. I'm hoping it's not me. Um but uh so uh we just wanted to take a look at it and see what you think. See if we should even bother with it. It's entirely up to you guys. Well, speaking from somebody who's done business with people who run food trucks for a living, there are legitimate food trucks and there are illegitimate less than legitimate food trucks. Well, and what I say when I say legitimate is they're licensed, they're permitted, uh they're inspected, and I my personal opinion is we ought to be doing what we need to do as a community to ensure that those type of food vendors are permitted in our community that are complying with state ordinance, state law to be inspected and and their quality is as good and they pass inspections and the like and try and limit the access that those who try and operate outside those boundaries have to

our areas. That's one guy's opinion. Makes sense. I've seen some fun ones over the years. So, and they come and go and they're not all matured. by my house yet, but we're free. Well, I mean to be in town, they have to give they can evidently sell off a public street. No, right right now, you do not have to have a permit. We do have um a regulation in there that talks about solicitors and doortodoor salesmen. So, if someone is going to your front door as a food truck, then then yes, they would have to have a permit. But if they just go park, um, you know, go to, I don't know, Wild Wings parking lot and say, "Hey, can I have permission to or Wild Bills and say, "Can I have permission to sit there?" And they sit there. We don't have any checks and balances, you know, nothing. There's there's nothing. We're just expecting them to pay sales tax or whatever it is that they do, but there's nothing saying they can't do that. Well, I would think you could do this very similarly to the way we permit carnivals in this town, which is to say, which I've also done. Um, that they have they're licensed by the state of Nebraska. They come in, they fill out an application, pay a small fee so that we know who they are, where they're going to be, how long they're going to be there, and how to get a hold of them if there's a problem, and have the city of North Plat go inspect, the police department go inspect it, issue the permit, and call it a day. That would that would make sense. They have something. Yes. The fish had their license. It's the first time I've ever seen estate license. You know, I was a fish

that yeah that I've never seen before. But certainly I think it's in our best interest as a city to make sure that these places are abiding by health standards that are set out by the state of Nebraska which does have a set of standards for these sorts of things and that there should be a fairly easy permitting process through the police department which is already used to handling these sorts of things with carnivals and the like. So, well, I will get with the city attorney and we'll have to take a look at it and see. And if there's anything that you see in these codes that you really really like or let Zan know or Bill and and we'll try to get something put together in the next month or two. I mean certainly there'd be an excuse to have you know designated spots or p spaces inside city parks where these things in larger communities are encouraged and there's gathering spots for them and that sometimes the food quality is really good. The arts in the park there three or four are they permitted anyway anyway they're in a public park. So when they do the arts in the parks they buy a loose like any other. Right. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Could be. I don't know. Yeah. It makes sense to me to have something on the books on this. Okay. Uh item number seven, old business. Okay. So, since um in my haste of changing the meeting and everything else that was going on, I neglected to um put the discussion of the RV parking um regulations on this agenda, which I said I would do. So, I'm taking full responsibility for that. I thought about it. So, um around the desk, you should have um a copy of the current regulations. And then I kind of

highlighted the areas that are somewhat in question or at least what they were um that we were asked to kind of take a look at. And that's um basically storing of the recreational vehicles um which is E. Number one talks about parking inside any enclosed structure. And then number two under E talks about being permitted outside in the sideyard or in a rear yard behind the required front yard. I think that provides a little bit of confusion because your front yard is your front yard setback. So from your property line to the beginning of the structure. So that's typically 20 25 ft depending on the zoning district. What this is saying is you can park the um RV in the sideyard offset as long as you're back behind that 25 ft setback. Yeah. So you can park lot line to your house which in a lot of cases it would be because your sideyard setback is only required to be a maximum of seven feet. What's an RV? 8 foot eight minimum minimum. So, you know, a lot of times they would when you put the slides out. Yeah. A lot of times you wouldn't even be able to fit in there, but some of these larger lots you probably could, but that puts it a really close quarter. So, I think there may be a little bit. I don't know if that's what the intent was or the intent wasn't. But then the next one says you can park outside within the required front yard area. So, you can park between where your house would start and the street as long as you are um on a hard surface pad adjacent to the driveway. Um some discussion there was saying adjacent to an existing driveway, which you look at that a little bit.

Well, what if it's a new build and the driveway isn't really existing? So, I don't I don't know what you guys think about that one. Um, and whether you even really want it in that front yard setback area or whether you just say, "Look, recreational vehicles backyard or not." Either that or we apply an offset or like we have the sideyard at 7 ft. I think there should have to be a distance like an offset not they can't be on the lot line. There has to be a distance off of that line. Well, and some properties don't have access to their backyard, right? They don't have alleys, right? So, you would have to be able to um which you can a lot of times do a curb cut. So, you could do a curb cut to get to your backyard if there was enough space that you would do. I think it should have follow and still have a the the sideyard setback off of that. Not in other words, if you're going to park it on the lot line, you need that 7 foot extension of setback. So if there was a large So if there was a large lot and you had a 15t setback, you're saying you would have room for it against your house and still have seven feet seven feet between. Okay. Okay. Because then that would account for the neighbor the next neighbor over to have seven to 15 feet. Then you would have 15 feet between that and the next house 14T, right? Yeah. If it if it was only 7 feet on the other side of the lot line. Yeah. I just think that would help instead of somebody, you know, 7 foot and seven foot and somebody's taking up their whole 7 foot offset with an RV blocking light, everything. If the generator kicks on, if this kicks on right there, do you think we should put it? And this may be getting really too technical. Do you

think you should put anything? If it says storing of RV, should you say you don't store your RV with your slide outs? Well, I that's No, I think if it's being stored, there's no reason for slide out. I agree there. If the slide outs are out there using it or cleaning it, period. And if they're cleaning it, it might as well be out front. So, how's that going to get managed or regulated? It's very tough enforcement. Hate to tell you, but it's a very tough enforcement. Yeah, it is through the police department. So, the neighbors are definitely going to have to call the police if they see it. Yeah. I'm just I'm just thinking we do need to add to this because it is a little misleading. Okay. Okay. That's the only way we're going to be able to allow a sideyard is to make them make them need an offset. Yeah, I agree. Otherwise, basically, they're going to be right on top of their neighbor's property, and that's not fair to the neighbor, frankly. So, okay. I like it. Okay. I will try and um myself along with the attorney's office will try to make up a ordinance for that and bring it back next time. Zita was writing. She was writing. Can I just ask will will it require a solid surface? It already does require it already requires it. So they're if they're not on one right now, they're already out of compliance. So yes, it requires a solid surface. Okay. But what's considered a solid surface? Well, parking is permitted outside within the required front yard area on a driveway or hard surface pad adjacent. The way I read that is concrete. Not what? That's certainly not. No, but not chipped rock, not crushed. Maybe we need to Maybe we need to add concrete to define solid surface in section three because my my reading of that says purpose is solid surface. Chipped rock

is not it's not solid. It's it can move concrete or asphalt. Concrete or asphalt or other other installed asphalt. Yeah, because I've seen some really lousy applications of asphalt in my time. All right, item number eight. Any new business for the good of the order? No, I don't think so. Item number nine is adjournment. Can you sign that? Be happy to.