Today’s meeting focused on Zoning & Overlay Districts and what that would mean for our BID. The City Planning Department also provided an update on plans.
- Plan Review & Timeline
- 75% Plans submitted to BID for review and questions.
- Urban Planning Board review scheduled for September 20.
- Maintenance agreements are being revised.
- Parking easement with adjacent car wash still unresolved
- Utility coordination ongoing with OPPD.
- Anticipated Project Timeline:
- Bidding: October 2024
- Final plans: November–December 2024
- Construction start: Spring 2025
- Zoning Overlay Purpose
- Introduces minimum public design standards to align with private business expectations.
- Focused on addressing urban design challenges in East Omaha, unlike the outdated 1987 Article 22 Urban Design Zoning Code.
- ACI (Area of Civic Improvement) Overview
- ACI-1:
- Most urban and intensive design standards.
- Includes guidelines for: Roadside Design: Sidewalks, setbacks
- Site Design: Parking, greenspace, trash areas, signage, utilities
- Building Design:
- Materials, articulation, entrances, design continuity
- No pole signs; only monument signs (base = 75% of sign width)
- Standards apply upon redevelopment or major site changes, with possibility of waivers/variances.
- ACI-2 (e.g., 72nd & Dodge):
- Emphasizes street landscaping
- Buildings set back further from the street
- Zoning Change Discussion: Potential future zoning change from GC (General Commercial) to NBD (Neighborhood Business District) for greater flexibility.
- Overlay Boundary Expansion: Proposed to include QuikTrip & Russell Speeder’s block Rationale: Area east of 48th on Hamilton would serve as a gateway into the BID