Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Make sure your mics are on for the folks at home and you have your personalized voting devices that you're ready.

I think they're using them for city council, but I don't think so.

Oh, we just learned how to use the clickers.

Yeah. All right.

Welcome to the July 20, 2026 Planning Commission meeting. Glad you're all here. Roll call, please.

Davies. Here. McCune. Here. Matthews. Here. Bain. Fudge.

Here.

Jett. Forbes. Here. Worrell. Here. Van Velsen. What? Quorum is present.

No. So in a change of state law, there's no longer an open meetings poster at the back. The rules were changed, so we just have to have them on site somewhere. And so they're in a binder, right, Michelle, in the back of the room? That little black binder, I'm guessing, is the Open Meetings Act. So if you need to refer to it at any time, please feel free to do that. Next item on the agenda is approval of the minutes from the rather brief June 23rd, 2026 Planning Commission meeting. I trust you all read them. It's like a Reader's Digest version. It was like seven minutes start to finish.

I move we approve the minutes from the June 23rd, 2026 meeting. Second.

Motion by Wuerl, seconded by Davies to approve as presented. Any discussion on that motion? Not? Michelle, please. Different screen. Everything's changing.

I don't like it.

And the minutes are approved. Item number three, discuss and consider action on vacation of a 10-foot-wide utility easement located at 302 West 3rd Street on property. Describes as Lot 1, Garrison Subdivision, North Platte Lincoln County, Nebraska. Judy.

Okay, and you should have all received a copy of the review comments. Attached to that is a letter from the applicant and then a copy of a plat map. The utility easement was put in place when Garrison subdivision was created to allow utility access for both lots. The new owner is requesting the easement be vacated because the utilities are not located in the easement and they are looking at the possibility of adding an accessory structure to the property. the north which would encroach on the existing easement planning staffs has no objection to the vacation of the utility easement as shown on the attached plat the utilities were located and are not utilizing that existing easement so if you look at that flat map you can see that the utilities for sanitary sewer actually come out of the alley and just go up to the lot split between lot one and lot two and And then access to water south on Sycamore Street that gets to Lot 2. So this utility easement really is not a necessity. So entirely up to you.

Does the utility department, the utilities folks have any concerns with this?

They all saw it in a receipt and I didn't get any concerns back from any of them.

So this is vacating it both on lot one and lot two?

No, just the one on the north lot, which is lot one. They would leave the utility easement in lot two because that does access that.

But really it would be, if there would be any reason to ever extend sewer up through the alley, that would be the issue.

Correct. Up through that easement.

Where does trash get picked up here?

street side okay mr chairman i move to make the recommendation to vacate the 10-foot wide utility easement located on lot one garrison subdivision north on lincoln county nebraska shown on the plaque second motion by van velsen seconded by davies to make a recommendation to approve vacation

Not taking a vacation, vacating the evening. I want to take a vacation. I do too. Any discussion on that motion? No. Shell, please. And the recommendation is made. Item number four is a public hearing discussion. Consider action on an annexation of Lot 1 Deepwaters Retreat Administrative Subdivision to the Corporate Limits of the City of North Platte. Judy.

Okay, and again, you should have received a copy of the review comments and a copy of the proposed annexation. The proposed annexation is in accordance with Chapter 11 annexation of the City of North Platte's comprehensive plan and amendments. The City of North Platte does require that individuals completing a subdivision whose property is adjacent to the city limits are required to request annexation. The proposed annexation areas consist of approximately 2.326 acres. Reasons for annexation include equity for the taxpayers, clarity of service areas for maintenance and emergency response, allowing for continued growth of North Platte in an efficient and orderly fashion, increased population increases possible economic development funding opportunities and lane miles increase allowing for additional road development and funding options the proposed annexation is urban in character abutting and adjacent to city limits and has availability of city infrastructure improvements and so planning staff does recommend adoption of the proposed annexation you all may have remembered seeing this subdivision at one time she was planning on doing several different lots um ended up that we went back to the drawing board and just did one lot for this purpose for this time and that is where the new there's a health center office space out there right now okay this is a public hearing there are three public hearings scheduled for tonight so i'm going to read the rules once

Planning Commission values your input. Once to hear from the audience during public hearing, anybody wishing to speak must first be recognized by the chair. Once recognized, please approach the podium, state your name and address, and please keep your comments as brief as possible. Repetitive and excessively long testimony may be ended at the discretion of the chair. And with that, the public hearing is open. Anybody here to talk about that matter? Going once. Going twice.

motion to close the public hearing motion by Matthew second by McEwen to close the public hearing in a discussion on that motion motion not so please

And the public hearing is now closed. Is there any... I know we normally don't take up annexations in election cycle because there's rules against that sort of thing.

Correct. Any type of annexation that's more of a forced annexation. This one where our subdivision regulations say that they have to request it, it's what we would call a friendly annexation. So it's a little bit different.

Where is the southern... Is the southern border of this proposed annexation, is that the city limits too?

Yes.

Okay. So if I were to understand it, there'd be a blue line between those two blue lines on the south.

Well, it goes down further. There's a lot to the south of this.

Oh.

So it's down a little bit further where that blue line would be.

So this is a little finger jutting into the east.

It's going to, yeah, jut out just a titch. Yep. The Cowboy Church property is directly to the south.

Yeah.

And they haven't they haven't done anything with their property. So we haven't asked them to annex yet.

What's on the west side of that?

The west side is residential. And on the east side, it's also residential. And we did just recently rezone that area B2 highway commercial.

That's just what we were looking up to. Councillor Trzyszynski pointed out that in a B-2, nobody lives there, so it doesn't impact voting rights of anybody there, which is usually the concern in these sorts of things.

Right.

Any more discussion on this one?

I move to make a recommendation to annex into the corporate city limits of North Platte, Lot 1, Deep Waters Retreat, Administrative Subdivision, Lincoln County, Nebraska.

Second.

Motion by Davies, seconded by Matthews to recommend approval of the annexation. Any more discussion on this one? Michelle? Speaking to at that time. And the recommendation is made. Item number five denied is also a public hearing. File number Z26-006, discussion consider action on an application by Roberts and Sons Plumbing to rezone certain land from an R3 dwelling district to a B2 highway commercial district on property located at 2420 West 13th Street and described as lot 1 Roberts subdivision, North Platte, Lincoln County, Nebraska. Judy.

Okay, and you guys should have all seen a copy of the review comments. Attached to that is the justification from the applicant, and then also attached to that is a current zoning map. As stated by the applicant, they're currently in the process of restoring an unoccupied, unkept property and will be adding an additional industry to a commercial neighborhood. If the property is rezoned, they plan to locate their plumbing company to the property to serve the community. planning staff has no objections to the rezoning the property is surrounded by other high intensive commercial properties and will be an improvement to the area the applicant is in the audience if you have any questions to him and if you recall we just approved this subdivision a couple of months ago that split this lot into to this lot and then a neighboring lot

Because one and two on the map were one big L-shaped lot at one point. Yep.

And we just split those into two. I think it's the intent of lot two to remain residential at this point, but that can change also.

Okie doke. This is also a public hearing. Same rules apply. Anybody want to talk on this one? Going once. Going twice.

I motion to close the public hearing. Second.

Motion by Matthew, seconded by Davies to close the public hearing. Any more discussion on that? If not, Michelle? Public hearing now closed. I drove by this eyesore every day for 13 years. I'm so happy that it's being cleaned up. Yes. Thank you. Seriously. Oh, my.

Okay, so, Judy, like, when I put it into Google Maps, maybe it was just silly, but, like, the 2420 ends up looking more like it's on the, like, lot 2 area or whatever. Did that just get... Maybe that's just incorrect Google Maps.

Incorrect Google Maps. So when we subdivided, we put the addresses on there. So that one's 2420. The other one is 2411.

So 2420 is, in fact, the one. Oh, I see it right there. All right. So Google just needs to get up to it.

Yep.

The almighty Google is occasionally incorrect. Incorrect.

So currently on lot two, there are no houses. Lot one is the one where the building's at. That's correct. Correct. And that's where they want to make it business.

Yep.

Any more discussion?

I move to make a recommendation to approve file number Z26-006 to rezone certain land from an R3 dwelling district to a B2 highway commercial district on property located at 2420 West 13th Street.

Second.

Motion by Matthew, seconded by Van Velsen to recommend approval as presented. Any more discussion on that matter? Again, sincere thanks. That's great property rehab over there. So, congratulations. Love it.

I agree.

Not Michelle, please. And the motion passes.

This will go to the council on... Yeah, all of these items will go to city council on August 4th.

There you go. Good luck. Item number six on the agenda tonight is a public hearing as well, discussing file number Z26007, discussion and consider action on application by the City of North Platte to rezone certain land from a B2 Highway Commercial District to an R3 Dwelling District on property located at 608 East 5th Street and 606 East 5th Street and described as the east 44 feet of Lot 3, Block 137, and the west 22 feet of Lot 3, and the east 22 feet of Lot 4, Block 137, Original Town Subdivision, North Platte Lincoln County, Nebraska. Judy.

Okay, and you should have received a copy of the review comments. Attached to that is a justification and then a copy of the current zoning. As stated by the applicant, which is the City of North Platte, the property was purchased by the City as part of the Rural Community Recovery Program Grant Fund. which has provided funding for the City to purchase vacant and dilapidated structures for future affordable residential development. Approval of the rezoning will allow a future buyer to construct a new home on the property, supporting local housing affordability investment in the community. planning staff has no objections to the rezoning the property abuts both commercial and residential and will be a great improvement in addition to the neighborhood in order to build a new structure on 606 east fifth the property will also require a lot consolidation adding the two small residential lots for development of affordable housing supports our community's need for additional residential structures and either i or bill can answer any questions if you have those

so oh go ahead public hearing this is a public hearing so let me open that um is there anybody that wishes to talk on this well you're all quiet tonight all one of you going once going twice i motion to close the public hearing Motion by Matthews to close the public hearing. Seconded by McEwen. Any more discussion on that? Michelle, please. And the public hearing is now closed. Okay, now.

Okay, so. So both of these lots will have to be combined. Is that what you're saying?

No. So if you look at the map, there's two separate lots. There's, well, three separate lots. There's a 44 foot wide one. And then there's another one that's two 22 foot wide lots. So the two 22 foot wide lots will be combined into one. So you'll get one 44 foot wide lot and then another 44 foot wide lot. Got it. Thank you.

And so the ones on the outside, that'll stay B2?

Yeah, so it's going to be kind of funky, but it is a residential structure right there. So I'm talking to the owner who happens to be, what's that business?

It's the Napa store.

Used to be the Napa store. He owns that. I don't think he'd have a problem rezoning that because it is a residential structure.

You're talking the one in what would be lot four today?

Yes. Yep. is one and two are the car wash one is the car wash correct yes okay one and two two one one and two okay yeah so yeah it does leave that little one there for commercial but it's probably more suited to residential they've already scraped some of that we we did the two lots that the city purchased um were run down vacant yeah i'm familiar with the previous owner they were storing a large number of automotive parts and things like that in those houses they had been inhabited yeah and so the city purchased those we demolished the structures now we're going to consolidate the one lot so that we can have two lots and then through the grant program it's meant to be for affordable housing

What about lot five across the street? What is that today? Do we know?

I believe it is to the north.

Yeah.

It's a residence. That's the business. Yeah, the house with the business behind it, isn't it?

Mm-hmm. That Papusa's are... Okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was in front of us not that long ago.

Yes.

i mean it's not you know it's not the absolute greatest area but you could still build a couple of pretty affordable houses right there and it would really make the neighborhood a lot better don't disagree with that um i would say the house that is on what shows this lot number four here on on your map it is a residential structure it's being used as a residential structure so like judy said i It would make sense, you know, if we wanted to talk to the owner about the sense for that 1 too, because I think. As the city was buying these other two lots, we were talking with him about this other property as well, but it was not in nearly the same condition it was being lived in. So it's being utilized as a residential structure. If you drive by the area, the houses across the street to the north, it feels residential to the north.

It's one of these funky areas where the line goes like this and doesn't feel real good from a planning and zoning standpoint, but it is what it is.

What are the dimensions of the lot that CDC is building? Do you recall what?

The one on West, is it West 2nd or West 4th? It's larger. It's probably 70. Yeah.

So that house would not fit.

no that house would not fit on there um but we do have a lot of houses on 44 foot wide lots a lot of them well that's the old town yeah it's the original town yeah yeah is that right yeah you tend to either have to build up or build out long ways long ways out yeah on the depth yeah tiny house yeah

yeah well and i to that point i think isn't the connection isn't their their veterans tiny home community yeah yeah yeah any more discussion

I move to make a recommendation to approve file number Z26-007 to rezone certain land from an R3 dwelling district to a B2 highway. Uh-oh. Oops, I've got the wrong line.

Yeah, but that's what it says. Is that what it says?

I put it backwards. Sorry, I gave you the wrong motion. Go from a B2 to an R3.

A B2 to an R3 dwelling district on property located at 606 and 608 East 5th Street.

Second.

Motion by Matthew, seconded by McEwen to approve as per recommend approval as presented. Any more discussion on that? If not, Michelle, please. And the motion is approved. Item number seven, old business. Judy, got any?

I don't have any old business.

Item number eight, new business. we have been where a city staff has probably been working on it longer than we have but there's been a committee of folks that has been working since february on a comprehensive overhaul of the entire planning and zoning code 260 pages or so yeah and the comprehensive plan and the comp plan So the committee met two weeks ago, three weeks ago, something like that, gave the final recommended updates back to Marvin and Associates who are making the updates. I think the plan is to have that in front of you for review sometime in August and then begin the public hearing process in September. We wanted to give you ample time to review it because there's a lot going on in there. In fact, we've talked about maybe trying to have a workshop to try and get through it piece by piece so the committee could kind of go through the changes and and let you know what our rationale was on recommending some of these changes. And, of course, none of this is set in stone. This is why we have groups like this where we'll have public hearings and take input and make changes, recommend changes to the city council, and the city council will ultimately have the say over this thing. But it is a lot to digest. We're going to try and give it to you with plenty of advance warnings so you've got time to go through it. I will tell you one of the major portions of it when you get it There's about an eight or nine page chart that basically has all the different zoning districts and we're recommending adding some new zoning districts like a special event district that catches things like Nebraska land days or the arena, the fairgrounds, those sorts of things. But basically it's got the entire chart is what's allowed, what's allowed by conditional use, what's not allowed. That'll be one of the sections I'm going to call your attention to because those are what we really need to talk about and talk through so that we have a firm understanding of what we're actually voting on by the time we get to the point we're voting on. Any discussion on that?

I think you pretty much covered it. That was pretty good. It's going to be the comp plan, which is about 200 pages. The zoning regulations, which again is about 200 pages. So there's a lot a lot of information and we touched on everything. The new stuff that's coming in is going to be in there too when it comes to. data centers and, and, uh, marijuana dispensaries and all those kinds of things. We're trying to hit them before we have anything come in front of us. So.

Yeah. So be a lot of, be a lot of study time. I can tell you, it's great. You got the bed reading because after a while you just start. But there's some important stuff in there and there's a lot of, a lot of moving pieces to it. So please, uh, please pay some attention to it when that gets to your inbox. Um,

What does the process look like in September?

Then when it does, so what we're trying to do is get all of those changes done. Um, I want to hold just a, just a discussion. So, like, hopefully the meeting in August, we'll have everything ready. So you can get both of the documents and we'll just talk about it. Of course, the public can be here, but we'll just talk about it. And then, um, in September, if we don't have a lot of changes or a lot of disagreements with what we want to do. um then we would go to public hearing in september um for both documents and then it would go on to city council for a public hearing so yeah and if we can't get it done that quickly we can't get it done that quickly if it takes us a couple meetings to discuss that's fine too

i would just plan on september meeting being lengthy as opposed to the seven minutes last month and the 25 minute meeting we're getting ready to conclude here this month so um well i mean at the county level we had a what four hour meeting pretty close to four hours but yeah no i'm i'm hoping that

we can get through it and you know i i would probably say a couple hours for you yeah i would plan on a couple hours for the september meeting do you have a cliff's notes version that's what we'll give you hopefully well i mean in

I think there is an executive summary.

Kind of, maybe, sort of.

But the devil in these documents is always in the details. And so my purpose in calling out that chart to you specifically is because I think that's where we're going to spend a lot of time. The other place I'd tell you to spend some time is in the maps. So the comprehensive plan map will have some fairly significant changes to it because we've grown, obviously, a lot since the last one was done 12 years ago, 13 years ago. So there will be changes in that map, and there's also some changes in the zoning map because we've obviously had some growth in some areas and have some things in places that we didn't have before. you know, the last time this got done. So pay particular attention to the maps, pay particular attention to the chart. And then we'll hopefully have a discussion about it at our August meeting, which I don't believe I'm going to be in town. I have to be in the eastern part of the state at our next regularly scheduled meeting. And I'd like to be here. No, I'd like to be here. So one of the things I wanted to talk about tonight is, is there an alternative meeting date in August that we could take a look at? Because I'd like to be here to kind of explain some of our rationale. Our normal meeting time would be the 25th.

Well, I have a hard time doing Tuesdays because I have counting Tuesdays, so it would have to be a Monday or a Wednesday if we wanted to change the actual date.

Yeah, Kevin Krieger, right?

Oh, yeah, probably.

Yeah, Monday's not going to be much better on the 20th. Is Wednesday the 26th doable in your all's world?

Is there any kind of buffet involved in this?

Glenn, we'll bring you cookies. We know how much that means to you.

Cookies and punch? I'm taking those on.

Wednesday the 26th, going once. Is that bad, Kathleen?

It's a golf league night for me, but I'll expect for it.

evening's probably better um we could even try like the next week if people are going to be around we don't have to go on that week i would push it back early september early september well well that's a council night

The second, I mean, I don't need everybody to change it just for me, but that would be much better.

Wednesday the 26th, you said?

Yeah, August 26th.

We kind of moved again.

Oh, we're not on Wednesday, August 26th?

It's just really Kathleen, right? Yeah, I mean, it's just a bad night for me. It's not good.

I'm going to watch the marching band preview at Memorial Stadium. The pride of all Nebraska is going to play that night. On Wednesday? On Wednesday night, 26th of August.

So you're out too? How about September 2?

That's great. That's right after Labor Day.

No. Labor Day is the 7th. Labor Day is the 7th. I'm gone that week.

You're gone that week too?

That's fine.

I can Zoom on you. I can Zoom.

I suppose the other alternative is like, what if we moved it up to like Wednesday? Is that too soon? August 19th? Will it be done?

I'll make him make it done.

I'm out of town that Wednesday for sure. And again, I mean, it is what it is. Is there a reason we're not looking at Thursday?

No. Well, Kathleen is out of town the 27th, so I'm trying. Thursday the 20th could also be a... And I'm out of town. I'm out of town too. Never mind. Yeah.

Well, yeah, they're brutal. Let's, let's, I don't know that it will be.

I mean, if that's just the preliminary. Yeah, I think that's our review, which I think maybe takes half hour, 45 minutes. Then we'll give you some things to look at so you can take it home.

Right. This is the introduction.

Yes, this is the preface.

I mean, I can make 26 work. I don't know about Glenn. Okay.

I'm going Lincoln. I can't get out of that one.

Well. 26. Let's set it for that night. I apologize, Glenn. We'll get it to you in email, but let's set it for the 26th.

Tuesday the 26th. That replaces the regular meeting?

Yes. Instead of Tuesday the 25th, we'll meet Wednesday the 26th.

Just send out an email for us so we all know. Yeah, we will.

Yeah, but block it out in your calendar if you would. We'll meet. Do we want to start? Can we start at 5 to get Kathleen out of here just a little bit early?

I want to go back and sit.

Does that matter? Fine. So let's set it for 5 o'clock. That way we can get through our agenda a little bit quicker and get Kathleen on the road. Okay? You got that? Okay. Anything else for the good of the order? I would like to publicly congratulate Gary Pearson on being named to the University of Nebraska Kearney Hall of Fame, Distinguished Alumni. That was announced today, yes?

Well, congratulations.

Well deserved. All right, gang.

You went to college?

We are adjourned.