The North Platte Planning Commission recommended an annexation, two rezoning requests, and vacation of a utility easement Tuesday, continuing steady actions to upgrade properties in the city.

About 2.3 acres along N. Buffalo Bill Ave. was recommended for inclusion in North Platte’s corporate limits. This is the new Family First Health Center on the east side of the avenue. The property was recently rezoned to B-2 Highway Commercial.

Planning Administrator Judy Clark said the property is urban in character, directly adjacent to the existing city limits, with access to city infrastructure.

City regulations require property owners who develop land adjacent to city limits to ask for annexation. Clark described the it as a “friendly annexation,” rather than a city-initiated or forced annexation.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and the commission unanimously recommended approval.

Clean-up

The commission also supported a request from Roberts and Sons Plumbing to rezone property at 2420 W. 13th from an R-3 Dwelling District to a B-2 Highway Commercial District.

The company is restoring a previously vacant, abandoned property that was overgrown with trees. Roberts has plans to relocate the plumbing business to the site.

Higher-intensity commercial uses surround the property and the proposed business would be compatible with the area, the planning staff said.

Several commission members praised the cleanup.

“I drove by this eyesore every day for 13 years,” Commission Chair David Fudge said. “I’m so happy that it’s being cleaned up.”

No one spoke in opposition and the commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning.

East Fifth

A third public hearing involved city-owned properties at 606 and 608 E. Fifth St.

The commission recommended rezoning the land from B-2 Highway Commercial to R-3 Dwelling District to allow future affordable housing construction.

The city has purchased the properties through the Rural Community Recovery Program, which provides funds to acquire vacant or dilapidated structures for residential development. The city has demolished the structures there, which Fudge said were former houses that were unoccupied for years and used to store automotive parts and other materials.

The rezoning allows the properties to be returned to residential use and sold for new homes sites, which is a requirement of the program.

Because of the existing lot configuration, two 22-foot-wide parcels would be consolidated to create one 44-foot-wide lot. The result would be two buildable residential lots, each approximately 44 feet wide.

Clark said that width is typical in many lots in North Platte’s original town plat, although homes constructed on the properties would likely need to be designed either vertically or with a longer, narrower footprint than is normal today.

Again, the commission unanimously recommended approval.

Updated regs

The most extensive discussion of the meeting centered on an upcoming overhaul of North Platte’s comprehensive plan and zoning regulations.

A committee has been working with Marvin Planning Consultants since February or so to review and update the documents. Committee members recently submitted final recommendations to the consultant to incorporate into the drafts.

Clark expects updated documents to be provided to the Planning Commission next month, followed by an introductory discussion as well as, potentially, one or more workshops.

The city’s comprehensive plan consists of about 200 pages, with the zoning regulations adding another 200 pages or so. Fudge warned the commissioners that the review would require significant preparation.

Among the major proposed changes is a chart outlining every zoning district and identifying which uses are permitted, conditionally permitted or prohibited in each district.

The proposal may also add new zoning classes, including a special-event district intended for properties such as the Wild West Arena, NebraskaLand Days facilities, and the Lincoln County Fairgrounds.

Clark said emerging new land uses, including data centers and cannabis dispensaries, are also part of the update. The goal is to establish regulations before applications involving those uses are submitted to the city.

Commissioners were encouraged to pay particular attention to the proposed land-use chart and changes to the city’s future land-use and zoning maps.

Fudge said the maps will include notable revisions from the previous maps, because North Platte has grown and changed significantly since the last comprehensive plan update 12-13 years ago.

The initial August meeting of the commission is expected to serve as an introduction to the proposed changes. More detailed discussion could follow during workshops or later meetings, and then formal public hearings will be held in September, although Clark acknowledged the timeline could be extended if additional time is needed to review documents and/or recommend changes.

Vacated easement

The commission also recommended vacating a 10-foot-wide utility easement on Lot 1 of Garrison Subdivision at 302 W. Third St.

Clark said the easement was created when the subdivision was developed to provide utility access to both of the lots. However, existing utilities are not located within the easement.

The new property owner is considering building an accessory structure on the north side of the property, which would encroach on the existing easement.

Clark said utility providers were notified of the request and no concerns were expressed. The same easement on a neighboring lot will remain in place because it continues to provide utility access.

The commission unanimously recommended the city vacate the portion of the easement.

All four recommendations will move to the North Platte City Council for consideration on Tuesday, Aug. 4. 

The commission also discussed moving its regular Aug. 25 meeting because Fudge would be unavailable. Several alternate dates were considered, and the meeting was scheduled for Aug. 26. 

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