A car wash could eventually replace a long-standing North Platte motel at the northeast corner of Philip Ave. and Dewey St., after a rezoning request received unanimous support Wednesday from the city planning commission.

The Blue Spruce motel buildings on the north side of Philip Ave. would be demolished if the re-zoning is approved.

A Tommy’s Express car wash is planned if the property, part of which is currently zoned for high-density residential use, is re-zoned for commercial business. The developers control adjoining commercially zoned property and may seek to vacate the alley and consolidate lots before construction.

The proposal will advance to the North Platte City Council for consideration on Sept. 1.

Ben Conover, who operates Tommy’s Express car wash locations in Columbus, Norfolk, Grand Island and Kearney, said the North Platte location would likely serve about 800 vehicles per day. On busy days following winter storms, that number could approach 1,500.

Conover said the automated system can wash a vehicle every 20 seconds or so and process 150-200 vehicles per hour.

The planning commissioners focused much of their discussion on whether traffic would back up onto Dewey St., particularly during the opening promotion when free car washes are typically offered.

Chairman David Fudge compared the possibility to the traffic generated when Chick-fil-A opened and uniformed officers were needed to manage vehicles.

“They will do a lot in this town for a chicken sandwich,” Fudge quipped. “You’ve got to imagine what’s going to happen for a free car wash.”

Conover said the company would bring experienced employees from other locations to assist during an opening. Employees equipped with tablets could enroll several customers at once, while other vehicles may be directed around the building to the vacuum area.

He said traffic did not back up into the street when the Grand Island car wash handled about 2,100 vehicles during a free-wash day.

If all goes as planned, traffic can pull into the car wash from both Dewey St. and Bailey St. on the east. Approximately 200 feet would separate the Dewey entrance from the pay lanes, providing space for vehicles to line up.

Tanner Brant, a member of the development team, said the Nebraska Department of Transportation has asked that the Dewey entrance be moved farther north to align with the access point on the opposite side of the street. The change would move traffic farther away from the Philip intersection and provide more waiting space.

City Engineer Brent Burklund said northbound Dewey carries approximately 11,000 vehicles per day, with about 1,100 using the street during its peak hour.

If the car wash served 150 vehicles in an hour, Burklund said it would need to attract more than 15% of the traffic. While an opening promotion could create unusually heavy demand, he does not anticipate that during normal operations.

Burklund estimated the property would hold more than 20 vehicles in its internal queue. The space would also be a buffer if an equipment problem temporarily slowed the wash.

He noted North Platte has repeatedly experienced initial traffic backups when new or newly reopened restaurants attracted heavy demand, including Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Pizza Hut, and Little Caesars.

Also, the pending completion of the new E. Francis St. extension could also change traffic patterns. providing another route to Newberry Access Road, lessening the amount on Philip, Burklund said.

The car wash would open during a planned two-year reconstruction of Dewey St. That work is expected to begin in April and be completed in phases. Burklund said NDOT will be responsible for coordinating access to the car wash and other businesses during construction.

Planning Administrator Judy Clark supported the rezoning, describing the proposal as an opportunity to replace the older motel buildings with new development along the commercial corridor.

The commission unanimously recommended approval.

Comprehensive plan overhaul

Commissioners also received their first formal draft of proposed updates to North Platte’s comprehensive plan, zoning regulations, and future land-use map.

The two documents each contain more than 200 pages and represent years of work by staff, consultants, and a review committee. Planning Director Judy Clark said staff members held several multi-hour meetings to examine zoning uses line by line.

The matrix identifies which land uses are permitted outright, as well as those that require conditional-use approval, and those that are prohibited within each zoning district. Chairman Fudge called it the “meat and potatoes” of the zoning regulations and asked commissioners to give it particular attention.

Residents’ questions, suggestions

Clark said copies of the draft are available through the planning and zoning section of the city’s website, and the public is encouraged to submit questions and recommendations. https://northplattene.gov/679/Comprehensive-Plan-Zoning-Ordinance-Draft

Data centers, medical marijuana, special events

Although much of the existing zoning system remains intact, the proposed regulations are presented in a substantially different format and include new sections addressing data centers and medical cannabis establishments.

The proposal would also create a special-events zoning district for properties such as the Nebraskaland Days grounds, the fairgrounds, and the Lincoln County Historical Museum.

Those properties currently must seek conditional-use approval for some routine activities that are not permitted under their existing agricultural zoning. The special-events district is intended to allow them to operate, improve their properties, and hold appropriate events without repeatedly returning to the Planning Commission for individual approvals.

Also, the city’s future land-use map is undergoing its first major update since 2012. Unlike the zoning map, the future land-use map identifies how the city expects different areas to develop over time rather than establishing their present zoning.

Fudge said particular attention was given to potential growth south of I-80 toward State Farm Road, as well as areas east, southeast, and north of the city.

Commissioners were asked to review the documents closely and identify incorrect references, unclear definitions, or language that may have been carried from regulations in other communities.

Commissioner Kurt McKeone questioned how the draft distinguishes between different types of firearms-related uses in designated areas, including what qualifies as a “small arm.” Clark acknowledged that further clarification may be necessary.

“This is the purpose of this, to get your eyes on it,” Fudge told commissioners, adding that portions of the city’s planning and zoning code should have been updated 5-10 years ago.

Fudge said the proposed data-center regulations will likely generate significant public comment as the review proceeds.

“The best we can do is what this group and the city council thinks is in the best interests of the community,” he said. “That’s why we’re here.”

The city is tentatively planning a joint city council and planning commission work session in September, with a formal public hearing and vote in October, followed by a city council hearing in November.

Als, the commission recommended approval of the:

• Industrial Park 10th replat: The city requested a preliminary and final plat for property south of East Francis Street between Devco and Bicentennial avenues. The replat would reconfigure two existing lots and create five additional lots along the new East Francis Street extension. The city-owned properties have access to municipal water and sewer and are included within an existing redevelopment plan.
• Vacating Cody Ave: Commissioners voted 4-0, with one abstention, to recommend vacating the unimproved portion of Cody Ave. between Rodeo Road and W. 13th St. The city would retain a 10-foot utility easement along the east side. Property owner Richard Housman said the additional land would allow garages to be built for the planned Buffalo Bill’s Hideaway affordable apartments closer to the property line, while preserving green space. Housman also said there are no plans to remove the longstanding billboard used by Nebraskaland Days and the Lincoln County Historical Museum, which is east of the Rodeo Rd. – Buffalo Bill intersection.
• North Platte Opportunity Center: The commission recommended a conditional-use permit to use an existing residence at 1205 S. Tabor Ave. as office space. No new building is planned. The staff said the surrounding area includes a mixture of commercial and higher-density residential uses and the office would not create a detrimental increase in traffic.
• 820 S. Walnut St.: Commissioners recommended rezoning the property from R-3 residential to B-1 neighborhood commercial. The property is presently used as a daycare, which would remain under the new zoning. The change would allow an existing building to be repurposed in the future for offices, a boutique or other small businesses. Commissioner Sally Forbes abstained from the 4-0 vote.

All five recommendations will be forwarded to the city council for consideration Sept. 1.

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