04-04-2012 Regional Planning Regular Meeting Packet
Hall County Regional
Planning Commission
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Regular Session Packet
Commission Members:
John Amick Hall County
Karen Bredthauer Grand Island Vice Chairperson
Julie Connelly Grand Island
Scott Eriksen Grand Island
Mark Haskins Hall County
Bill Hayes Doniphan
Dennis McCarty Grand Island
Jaye Monter Cairo
Pat O’Neill Hall County Chairperson
Deb Reynolds Hall County
Leslie Ruge Alda Secretary
Don Snodgrass Wood River
Regional Planning Director: Chad Nabity
Technician:
Edwin Maslonka
Secretary:
Rose Woods
6:00 PM
Council Chambers - City Hall
100 East First Street
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 1 / 38
Call to Order
Roll Call
A - SUBMITTAL OF REQUESTS FOR FUTURE ITEMS
Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the Request for
Future Agenda Items form located at the Information Booth. If the issue can be handled administratively
without Council action, notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study
session, notification of the date will be given.
B - RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS
This is an opportunity for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items to reserve
time to speak. Please come forward, state your name and address, and the Agenda topic on which you will
be speaking.
DIRECTOR COMMUNICATION
This is an opportunity for the Director to comment on current events, activities, and issues of interest to
the commission.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 2 / 38
Hall County Regional Planning
Commission
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Regular Session
Item .A1
April Summary
Staff Contact:
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 3 / 38
Staff Recommendation Summary
For Regional Planning Commission Meeting
April 4, 2012
4. Public Hearing - Consideration of a Substandard and Blight Study as
prepared for the Gordman Grand Island LLC by Marvin Planning Consultants.
This study is for approximately 72 acres of property in northwest Grand Island
between Capital Avenue and State Street and U.S. Highway 281 and Webb
Road. The study as prepared and submitted indicates that this property could be
considered substandard and blighted.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 4 / 38
Hall County Regional Planning
Commission
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Regular Session
Item E1
March Meeting Minutes
Staff Contact:
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 5 / 38
THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION OF HALL COUNTY, GRAND ISLAND,
WOOD RIVER AND THE VILLAGES OF ALDA, CAIRO, AND DONIPHAN,
NEBRASKA
Minutes
for
March 7, 2012
The meeting of the Regional Planning Commission was held Wednesday, March 7,
2012, in the Community Meeting Room - City Hall – Grand Island, Nebraska. Notice
of this meeting appeared in the "Grand Island Independent" February 25, 2012.
Present:Bill Hayes Leslie Ruge
Karen Bredthauer Pat O’Neill
Deb Reynolds Mark Haskins
Don Snodgrass Scott Eriksen
Jaye Monter Julie Connelly
John Amick
Absent:Dennis McCarty
Other:
Staff:Chad Nabity, Rose Woods
Press:
1.Call to order.
Chairman O’Neill called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. He stated that this
was a public meeting subject to the open meetings laws of the State of
Nebraska. He noted that the requirements for an open meeting were posted
on the wall in the room and easily accessible to anyone who may be interested
in reading them.
2. Minutes of February 1, 2012 meeting.
A motion was made by Bredthauer to approve the meeting minutes and
seconded by Snodgrass to approve the Minutes of the February 1, 2012
meeting as mailed.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 6 / 38
The motion carried with 9 members present and 9 voting in favor (O’Neill,
Ruge, Bredthauer, Hayes, Eriksen, Reynolds, Connelly, Snodgrass and
Haskins) and no member present abstaining.
3. Request Time to Speak.
4. Public Hearing - Rezone - A request to rezone properties located east of Alda Road,
north of US Hwy 30. From R9 Single Family Residential to BGC General Commercial
District, in the Village of Alda. Lot 3 of Fetsch Subdivision in the Village of Alda (C-10-
2012Alda)
O’Neill opened the Public Hearing.
Amick joined the Meeting at 6:03 p.m.
Nabity explained the request to rezone properties lat the northeast corner of the
intersection of Alda Road and Front Street (Highway 30) from R9 – Single Family
Residential District to BGC – General Commercial District, in the Village of Alda.
Nabity stated this is consistent with Alda’s comprehensive land use plan. This is also
consistent with existing roads, with redevelopment and supported by existing
infrastructure.
O’Neill closed the Public Hearing.
A motion was made by Ruge to recommend the Rezone request from from R9 –
Single Family Residential District to BGC – General Commercial District and was
seconded by Snodgrass. The motion carried with 10 members present voting in
favor of recommending the Rezone request to the Board of Alda (Amick, O’Neill,
Eriksen, Bredthauer, Ruge, Hayes, Reynolds, Haskins, Connelly and Snodgrass)
and no one voting against.
5. Public Hearing - Concerning an amendment to redevelopment plan for CRA area
#1.This property is located in east Grand Island and all action will take place at the
existing Lincoln Park north of 7th Street and east of Beal Street in the City of Grand
Island. (C-11-2012GI)
Monter joined the Meeting at 6:06 p.m.
O’Neill opened the Public Hearing.
Nabity told the board the City of Grand Island is proposing to rebuild the existing
swimming pool at Lincoln Park. They are asking the Community Redevelopment
Authority to finance this as a redevelopment project to improve the neighborhood.
Redevelopment of the Lincoln Park Swimming pool should help prevent further decay
of this neighborhood. This area has already been declared blighted and substandard
by the CRA, the Hall County Regional Planning Commission and the Grand Island City
Council. The Planning Commission is required to comment on these applications to
confirm that expenditure of public funds. This project will not be using TIF but will be
using a portion of the tax levy authorized for use by the CRA.
O’Neill closed the Public Hearing.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 7 / 38
A motion was made by Bredthauer to approve the Redevelopment Plan for the
property located in Blight and Substandard Area #1 at Lincoln Park as presented
and was seconded by Eriksen. The motion carried with 11 members present
voting in favor of to approve the Redevelopment Plan and to forward the request
to City Council (Amick, O’Neill, Monter, Bredthauer, Ruge, Hayes, Reynolds,
Haskins, Eriksen, Connelly and Snodgrass) and no one voting against.
6. Public Hearing - Concerning adoption of blight study and generalize redevelopment
plan for CRA Blight and Substandard Area #8. (C-12-2012GI)
O’Neill opened the Public Hearing.
Nabity explained to the Commissioners the Grand Island Area Community
Redevelopment Authority (CRA) commissioned a Blight/Substandard Study
and Generalized Redevelopment Plan for the proposed Redevelopment Area
No. 8 to be prepared by Olsson Associates along with Marvin Planning and
Ken Bunger. The study area includes approximately 92.77 acres referred to as
CRA Area #8. The study focused on an area south of Anna Street along
Adams Street in south central Grand Island.
FINDINGS FOR GRAND ISLAND
Study Area #8 has several items contributing to the Blight and Substandard
Conditions. These conditions include:
Blighted Conditions
Substantial number of deteriorating structures,
Unsanitary / Unsafe conditions,
Deterioration of site or other improvements,
Dangerous conditions to life or property due to fire or other causes,
Combination of factors which are impairing and/or arresting sound growth,
Average age of structures is over 40 years of age.
Substandard Conditions
Average age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years
Issues which were not researched due to a lack of data were:
Tax/special assessment delinquency greater than fair value of land,
Tax delinquency,
Underemployment that equals 120% state or national average,
Per capita income less than city wide average, and
High Density or population and overcrowding.
Unemployment in the designated area is at least one hundred twenty percent of
the state or national average;
More than half of the plotted and subdivided property in an area is unimproved land
that has been within the city for forty years and has remained unimproved during
that time.
O’Neill closed the Public Hearing.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 8 / 38
A motion was made by Eriksen to approve the Blight Study for Area #8 as
presented and was seconded by Connelly. The motion carried with 11 members
present voting in favor to forward the request to City Council (Amick, Eriksen,
O’Neill, Monter, Bredthauer, Ruge, Hayes, Reynolds, Haskins, Connelly and
Snodgrass) and no one voting against.
A motion was made by Eriksen to approve Resolution 2012-02 the
Redevelopment Plan for Area #8 as presented and was seconded by Reynolds.
The motion carried with 11 members present voting in favor to forward the
request to City Council (Amick, Eriksen, O’Neill, Monter, Bredthauer, Ruge,
Hayes, Reynolds, Haskins, Connelly and Snodgrass) and no one voting against.
7. Final Plat - Chief Fab Second Subdivision, located north of Fonner Park Road and
east of Adams Street, in Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska. Consisting of 15.4448
(2 Lots).
A motion was made by Brethauer to approve the Final Plat of Chief Fab Subdivision as
presented and seconded by Haskins. The motion carried with 11 members present
and 11 voting in favor (Amick, Eriksen, O’Neill, Monter, Bredthauer, Ruge, Hayes,
Reynolds, Haskins, Connelly and Snodgrass) and no member present voting against.
8. Planning Director’s Report
NPZA Conference will be March 28-30, 2012
9. Next Meeting April 4, 2012
10. Adjourn
Chairman O’Neill adjourned the meeting at 6:26 p.m.
___________________________________________
Leslie Ruge, Secretary
by Rose Woods
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 9 / 38
Hall County Regional Planning
Commission
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Regular Session
Item F1
Public Hearing - Blight Study Area #9
Staff Contact:
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 10 / 38
1
Agenda Item 4
PLANNING DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION TO REGIONAL PLANNING
COMMISSION:
March 16, 2012
SUBJECT: Blight Study (Proposed Area #9) C-13-2012GI
PROPOSAL: Enclosed you will find a copy of a Substandard and Blight Study as
prepared for the Gordman Grand Island LLC by Marvin Planning Consultants. This
study is for approximately 72 acres of property in northwest Grand Island between
Capital Avenue and State Street and U.S. Highway 281 and Webb Road. The study as
prepared and submitted indicates that this property could be considered substandard
and blighted. The full study is attached for your review and consideration. Council has
referred the attached study to the Planning Commission for its review and
recommendation. If the Planning Commission does not make a recommendation within
30 days Council can proceed with a decision on the declaration without recommendation
from Planning Commission.
OVERVIEW
The Statutory authority and direction to the Planning Commission is referenced below to
explain the Planning Commission purpose in reviewing the study:
Section 18-2109
Redevelopment plan; preparation; requirements.
An authority shall not prepare a redevelopment plan for a redevelopment project area unless the
governing body of the city in which such area is located has, by resolution adopted after a public
hearing with notice provided as specified in section 18-2115, declared such area to be a
substandard and blighted area in need of redevelopment. The governing body of the city shall
submit the question of whether an area is substandard and blighted to the planning commission or
board of the city for its review and recommendation prior to making its declaration. The planning
commission or board shall submit its written recommendations within thirty days after receipt of
the request. Upon receipt of the recommendations or after thirty days if no recommendation is
received, the governing body may make its declaration.
~Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska
A flow chart of the blight declaration process is shown in Figure 2.
At this time, the Planning Commission and Council are only concerned with determining
if the property is blighted and substandard. Figure 3 is an overview of the differences
between the blight and substandard declaration and the redevelopment plan. If a
declaration as blighted and substandard is made by Council then the Community
Redevelopment Authority (CRA) can consider appropriate redevelopment plans. The
redevelopment plans must also be reviewed by the Planning Commission and approved
by Council prior to final approval.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 11 / 38
2
Figure 1 Redevelopment Area 9 includes all properties within the red outline.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 12 / 38
3
Study
Commissioned by
CRA
Study Commissioned
by Other Agency
Study Presented to
CRA
Study Presented to
Council
May Be Forwarded
to RPC
Study Sent to
RPC for Review
and
Recommendation
Council Chooses not
to Forward Study to
RPC
No Declaration Made
RPC Reviews
Study and Makes
Recommendation
within 30 Days
Council
Considers
Substandard
and Blighted
Declaration
Council Chooses not to
Make Substandard and
Blighted Declaration. No
Redevelopment Plans May
be Considered
Council Declares Area
Substandard and Blighted.
Redevelopment Plans
May be Considered by
the CRA
Process for Declaring an area of the City
Substandard and Blighted
Figure 2 Blight Declaration Process (Planning Commission Recommendation is the second purple
box).
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 13 / 38
4
Substandard and
Blighted Declaration vs.
Redevelopment Plan
Substandard and
Blighted Declaration
A Study of the
Existing Conditions of
the Property in
Question
Does the property
meet one or more
Statutory Conditions
of Blight?
Does the Property
meet one or more
Statutory Conditions
of Substandard
Property?
Is the declaration in
the best interest of
the City?
Redevelopment
Plan
What kinds of
activities and
improvements are
necessary to alleviate
the conditions that
make the property
blighted and
substandard?
How should those
activities and
improvements be
paid for?
Will those activities
and improvements
further the
implementation of the
general plan for the
City?
Figure 3 Blight and Substandard Declaration compared to a Redevelopment Plan
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 14 / 38
5
OVERVIEW Continued
It is appropriate for the planning commission in conducting its review and considering its
recommendation regarding the substandard and blighted designation to:
1.review the study,
2.take testimony from interested parties,
3.make findings of fact, and
4.include those findings of fact as part of its recommendation to Council.
Blighted and Substandard Defined
The terms blighted and substandard have very specific meanings within the context of
the Community Redevelopment Statutes. Those terms as defined by Statute are
included below:
Section 18-2103
Terms, defined.
For purposes of the Community Development Law, unless the context otherwise requires:
(10) Substandard areas shall mean an area in which there is a predominance of buildings or
improvements, whether nonresidential or residential in character, which, by reason of dilapidation,
deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open
spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of conditions which endanger
life or property by fire and other causes, or any combination of such factors, is conducive to ill health,
transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, and crime, (which cannot be remedied
through construction of prisons), and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare;
(11) Blighted area shall mean an area, which (a) by reason of the presence of a substantial number of
deteriorated or deteriorating structures, existence of defective or inadequate street layout, faulty lot
layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness, insanitary or unsafe conditions,
deterioration of site or other improvements, diversity of ownership, tax or special assessment
delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land, defective or unusual conditions of title, improper
subdivision or obsolete platting, or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire
and other causes, or any combination of such factors, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth
of the community, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or
social liability and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition
and use and (b) in which there is at least one of the following conditions: (i) Unemployment in the
designated area is at least one hundred twenty percent of the state or national average; (ii) the average
age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years; (iii) more than half of the
plotted and subdivided property in an area is unimproved land that has been within the city for forty
years and has remained unimproved during that time; (iv) the per capita income of the area is lower
than the average per capita income of the city or village in which the area is designated; or (v) the area
has had either stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses. In no event
shall a city of the metropolitan, primary, or first class designate more than thirty-five percent of the
city as blighted, a city of the second class shall not designate an area larger than fifty percent of the
city as blighted, and a village shall not designate an area larger than one hundred percent of the village
as blighted;
~Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 15 / 38
6
ANALYSIS
The following summaries are copied directly from the Study. The analysis of the
substandard and blighted factors is conducted on pages 14 and 15 of the study. The
summaries provide a basis for approving the blighted and substandard designation.
BlightingBlighting SummarySummary
These conditions are contributing to the blighted conditions of the study area.
Age of Structure
o 5 of 16 units (31.2%) are 40 years of age or older.
o 282,593 square feet of the total 531,224 square feet (53.2%) of retail space is 40 years of age or older
Existence of defective or inadequate street layout
o The only street layouts in the Study Area are striped parking areas with the main vehicular circulation falling
into the remaining areas.
o All streets/circulation areas are private property
Faulty lot layout in relation to size adequacy, accessibility or usefulness
o The Study Area is divided into 17 different owners and the boundaries are gerrymandered in no logical manner.
Dangerous conditions to life or property due to fire or other causes
o The primary signage (pole sign) on the Webb Road side of the area has two large steel poles that have no
separation from the vehicular movements of the site.
o The parking lots are in a major state of disrepair and in some cases could easily cause damage to a vehicle if
they were driven over.
o The drainage system in the Study Area has the potential for standing water to be present.
Combination of factors which are impairing and/or arresting sound growth
o The Study Area is approximately 80 acres and has 17 different property owners; therefore the diversity of
ownership has the potential to impair sound growth
o The overall lack of investment in the area over the past 10 years. Of the 16 properties, 11 (64.7%) have seen a
declining assessed valuation.
Diversity of Ownership
o There are 17 different property owners within the Study Area. Some owners have invested in their properties
while others have done minimal maintenance at best.
Improper Subdivision or obsolete platting
o The Study Area is divided into 17 different owners and the boundaries are gerrymandered in no logical manner.
Stable or decreasing population over last two decennial censuses
o The population of the Study Area has remained stable over the past 22 years.
The other criteria for Blight were not present in the area, these included:
Economic or social liability detrimental to health, safety and welfare,
Conditions provision of housing accommodations,
One-half of unimproved property is over 40 years old,
Inadequate provisions for ventilation, light, air, open spaces or sanitation, and
These issues were either not present or were limited enough as to have little impact on the overall condition of the study
area.
SubstandardSubstandard ConditionsConditions
Average age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years
Age of structures can be a contributing factor to the blighted and substandard conditions in an area. Statutes allow for a
predominance of units that are 40 years of age or older to be a contributing factor regardless of their condition. Note that
the age of structure was determined from the Appraisal data within the Hall County Assessor’s website data.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 16 / 38
7
Within the study area there is a total of 16 units. After researching the structural age on the Hall County Assessor’s and
Treasurer’s websites, the following breakdown was determined:
11 (68.8%) units were determined to be less than 40 years of age
5 (31.2%) units were determined to be 40 years of age or older
Even though there is not a predominance of units 40 years of age or older the ones that meet the criteria are grouped
together on the north end of the overall study area. Two of these units are the predominate commercial units on the site
and contain a large portion of the overall square footage of the buildings in the area. A typical unit in which commercial
uses are rated is square feet; therefore the following is a breakdown of the square footage of buildings in the study area:
531,224 total square feet
282,593 s.f. of the total or 53.2% are at least 40 years of age.
In the case of the Grand Island Mall, a walk through in the public areas indicated that the interiors were completely out
of date and in dire need of updating.
Due to the age of the structures (specifically the total square feet), the age of the units would be a direct contributing
factor.
SubstandardSubstandard SummarySummary
Nebraska State Statute requires that at least one of five substandard factors be present in a community. This Study Area
in Grand Island has one of the five. The other criteria for Substandard were not present or the data was not readily
accessible in the area, these included:
Unemployment in the designated area is at least one hundred twenty percent of the state or national average;
More than half of the plotted and subdivided property in an area is unimproved land that has been within the city for
forty years and has remained unimproved during that time;
The per capita income of the area is lower than the average per capita income of the city or in which the area is
designated
The area has had either stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses.
FFINDINGSINDINGS FORFOR GGRANDRAND IISLANDSLAND BBLIGHTLIGHT SSTUDYTUDY AAREAREA #9#9
Blight Study Area #9 has several items contributing to the Blight and Substandard Conditions. These conditions include:
Blighted Conditions
Diversity of Ownership
Defective or inadequate street layout
Faulty lot layout
Improper subdivision or obsolete platting
Unsanitary / Unsafe conditions,
Deterioration of site or other improvements,
Dangerous conditions to life or property due to fire or other causes,
Combination of factors which are impairing and/or arresting sound growth,
Average age of units is over 40 years of age.
Stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses
Substandard Conditions
Average age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years
RECOMMENDATION:
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 17 / 38
8
Planning Commission staff is recommending consideration of the following questions as a starting
point in the analysis of this Study and in making a recommendation on the question of whether the
property in question is blighted and substandard.
Recommend Questions for Planning Commission
Does this property meet the statutory requirements to be considered blighted and
substandard? (See Page 5 for requirements)
Are the blighted and substandard factors distributed throughout the Redevelopment Area,
so basically good areas are not arbitrarily found to be substandard and blighted simply
because of proximity to areas which are substandard and blighted?
Is public intervention appropriate and/or necessary for the redevelopment of the area?
Findings of fact must be based on the study and testimony presented including all written
material and staff reports. The recommendation must be based on the declaration, not based
on any proposed uses of the site.
If the Regional Planning Commission concludes that the area in question meets the definition of
blighted and substandard and supports such conclusion with findings of fact they should move
to recommend approval of the declaration as blighted and substandard based on the facts
presented and identified at this meeting.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 18 / 38
City of Grand Island,NE
Blight and Substandard Study
Area #9
March 2012
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 19 / 38
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 20 / 38
Blight and Substandard Study
City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 1
PPUURRPPOOSSEE OOFF TTHHEE BBLLIIGGHHTT AANNDD SSUUBBSSTTAANNDDAARRDD SSTTUUDDYY
The purpose of completing this Blight and Substandard study is to examine existing conditions within the city
of Grand Island. This study has been commissioned by an individual property owner within the community
with the hope that the City will consider the study area for future redevelopment activity. The area is bordered
on all four sides by major transportation routes and the general area of the community has seen considerable
new development on the western perimeter of the area but limited redevelopment activities.
The City of Grand Island, when considering conditions of Blight and Substandard, will be looking at those
issues and definitions provided for in the Nebraska Community Redevelopment Law as found in Chapter 18,
Section 2104 of the Revised Nebraska State Statutes, as follows:
“The governing body of a city, to the greatest extent it deems to be feasible in carrying out the
provisions of Sections 18-2101 to 18-2144, shall afford maximum opportunity, consistent with
sound needs of the city as a whole, to the rehabilitation or redevelopment of the community
redevelopment area by private enterprises. The governing body of a city shall give consideration
to this objective in exercising its powers under sections 18-2101 to 18-2144, including the
formulation of a workable program, the approval of community redevelopment plans consistent
with the general plan for the development of the city, the exercise of its zoning powers, the
enforcement of other laws, codes, and regulations relating to the use and occupancy of buildings
and improvements, the disposition of any property acquired, and providing of necessary public
improvements”.
The Nebraska Revised Statutes §18-2105 continues by granting authority to the governing body for
formulation of a workable program. The statute reads,
“The governing body of a city or an authority at its direction for the purposes of the Community
Development Law may formulate for the entire municipality a workable program for utilizing
appropriate private and public resources to eliminate or prevent the development or spread of
urban blight, to encourage needed urban rehabilitation, to provide for the redevelopment of
substandard and blighted areas, or to undertake such of the aforesaid activities or other feasible
municipal activities as may be suitably employed to achieve the objectives of such workable
program. Such workable program may include, without limitation, provision for the prevention of
the spread of blight into areas of the municipality which are free from blight through diligent
enforcement of housing, zoning, and occupancy controls and standards; the rehabilitation or
conservation of substandard and blighted areas or portions thereof by replanning, removing
congestion, providing parks, playgrounds, and other public improvements by encouraging
voluntary rehabilitation and by compelling the repair and rehabilitation of deteriorated or
deteriorating structures; and the clearance and redevelopment of substandard and blighted
areas or portions thereof.”
Blight and Substandard are defined as the following:
“Substandard areas means an area in which there is a predominance of buildings or
improvements, whether nonresidential or residential in character, which, by reason of
dilapidation, deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air,
sanitation, or open spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of
conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes, or any combination of such
factors, is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency,
and crime, (which cannot be remedied through construction of prisons), and is detrimental to the
public health, safety, morals, or welfare;”
“Blighted area means an area, which (a) by reason of the presence of a substantial number of
deteriorated or deteriorating structures, existence of defective or inadequate street layout, faulty
lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness, insanitary or unsafe
conditions, deterioration of site or other improvements, diversity of ownership, tax or special
assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land, defective or unusual conditions of
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 21 / 38
Blight and Substandard Study
City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 2
title, improper subdivision or obsolete platting, or the existence of conditions which endanger life
or property by fire and other causes, or any combination of such factors, substantially impairs or
arrests the sound growth of the community, retards the provision of housing accommodations,
or constitutes an economic or social liability and is detrimental to the public health, safety,
morals, or welfare in its present condition and use and (b) in which there is at least one of the
following conditions: (i) Unemployment in the designated area is at least one hundred twenty
percent of the state or national average; (ii) the average age of the residential or commercial
units in the area is at least forty years; (iii) more than half of the plotted and subdivided property
in an area is unimproved land that has been within the city for forty years and has remained
unimproved during that time; (iv) the per capita income of the area is lower than the average per
capita income of the city or in which the area is designated; or (v) the area has had either stable
or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses. In no event shall a city of the
metropolitan, primary, or first class designate more than thirty-five percent of the city as
blighted, a city of the second class shall not designate an area larger than fifty percent of the
city as blighted, and a shall not designate an area larger than one hundred percent of the as
blighted;”
This Blight and Substandard Study is intended to give the Grand Island Community Redevelopment Authority
and Grand Island City Council the basis for identifying and declaring Blighted and Substandard conditions
existing within the City’s jurisdiction. Through this process, the City and property owner will be attempting to
address economic and/or social liabilities which are harmful to the well-being of the entire community.
The study area can be seen in Figure 1 of this report. The Redevelopment Plan portion of this report will
contain, in accordance with the law, definite local objectives regarding appropriate land uses, improved
traffic, public transportation, public utilities and other public improvements, and the proposed land uses
and building requirements in the redevelopment area and shall include:
The boundaries defining the blighted and substandard areas in question (including existing uses and
conditions of the property within the area), and
A list of the conditions present which qualify the area as blighted and substandard.
BBLLIIGGHHTT AANNDD SSUUBBSSTTAANNDDAARRDD EELLIIGGIIBBIILLIITTYY SSTTUUDDYY
This study targets a specific area within an established part of the community for evaluation. The area is
indicated in Figure 1 of this report. The existing uses in this area include commercial and public open space
(primarily detention cells).
Through the redevelopment process the City of Grand Island can guide future development and
redevelopment throughout the area. The use of the Community Redevelopment Act by the City of Grand
Island is intended to redevelop and improve the area. Using the Community Redevelopment Act, the City of
Grand Island can assist in the elimination of negative conditions and implement different programs/projects
identified for the City.
The following is the description of the designated area within Grand Island.
Study Area
POINT OF BEGINNING IS THE INTERSECTION OF THE CENTERLINES OF W. CAPITAL AVENUE AND N. WEBB
ROAD; THENCE SOUTHERLY ALONG SAID CENTERLINE OF N. WEBB ROAD TO THE INTERSECTION OF THE
CENTERLINES OF N. WEBB ROAD AND STATE STREET; THENCE WESTERLY ALONG SAID CENTERLINE OF
STATE STREET TO THE INTERSECTION OF THE CENTERLINES OF STATE STREET AND US HIGHWAY 281;
THENCE, NORTHERLY ALONG SAID CENTERLINE OF US HIGHWAY 281 TO THE INTERSECTION OF THE
CENTERLINES OF US HIGHWAY 281 AND W. CAPITAL AVENUE; THENCE, EASTERLY ALONG THE CENTERLINE
OF W. CAPITAL AVENUE TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 3
Figure 1
Study Area Map
Source: Gordman Grand Island LLC, 2012
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 4
EEXXIISSTTIINNGG LLAANNDD UUSSEESS
The term “Land Use” refers to the developed uses in place within a building or on a specific parcel of land. The
number and type of uses are constantly changing within a community, and produce a number of impacts that
either benefit or detract from the community. Because of this, the short and long-term success and
sustainability of the community is directly contingent upon available resources utilized in the best manner
given the constraints the City faces during the course of the planning period. Existing patterns of land use are
often fixed in older communities and neighborhoods, while development in newer areas is often reflective of
current development practices.
Existing Land Use Analysis within Study Area
As part of the planning process, a survey was conducted through both in-field observations, as well as data
collection online using the Hall County Assessors website. This survey noted the use of each parcel of land
within the study area. These data from the survey are analyzed in the following paragraphs.
Table 1 includes the existing land uses for the entire study area. The table contains the total acres
determined per land use from the survey; next is the percentage of those areas compared to the total
developed land; and finally, the third set of data compare the all land uses to the total area within the Study
Area.
The Study Area is predominately Commercial uses with 93.0% of land in this use. The remaining 7% is
Public/Quasi-public and is typically used for stormwater detention. One key note on existing land uses, within
the interior of the Grand Island Mall portion there is currently a church using the space but has been included
in the commercial uses.
TABLE 1: EXISTING LAND USE, GRAND ISLAND - 2011
Type of Use Acres Percent of
Developed
land within
the Study
Area
Percent of Study
Area
Residential 0 0.0%0.0%
Single-family 0 0.0%0.0%
Multi-family 0 0.0%0.0%
Manufactured Housing 0 0.0%0.0%
Commercial 66.84 93.0%93.0%
Industrial 0 0.0%0.0%
Quasi-Public/Public 5.02 7.0%7.0%
Parks/Recreation 0 0.0%0.0%
Transportation 0 0.0%0.0%
Total DevelopedLand 71.86 100.0%
Vacant/Agriculture 0 0.0%
Total Area 71.86 100.0%
Source: 2012 Grand Island Blight Study Area 9, Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 5
Figure 2
Existing Land Use Map
Source: Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates, 2012
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 6
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This section of the Eligibility Report examines the conditions found in the study area. The Findings Section will
review the conditions based upon the Statutory definitions.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
There are a number of conditions that were examined and evaluated in the field and online. There are a
number of conditions that will be reviewed in detail, on the following pages, while some of the Statutory
conditions are present, other are not.
Age of Structure
Age of structures can be a contributing factor to the blighted and substandard conditions in an area. Statutes
allow for a predominance of structures that are 40 years of age or older to be a contributing factor regardless
of their condition. The following paragraphs document the structural age of the structures within the Study
Area. Note that the age of structure was determined from the Appraisal data within the Hall County
Assessor’s website data.
Within the study area there is a total of 16 units. After researching the structural age on the Hall County
Assessor’s and Treasurer’s websites, the following breakdown was determined:
11 (68.8%) units were determined to be less than 40 years of age
5 (31.2%) units were determined to be 40 years of age or older
Even though there is not a predominance of units 40 years of age or older the ones that meet the criteria are
grouped together on the north end of the overall study area. Two of these units are predominate commercial
units on the site and contain a large portion of the overall square footage of the buildings in the area. A typical
unit in which commercial uses are rated is square feet; therefore the following is a breakdown of the square
footage of the units in the study area:
531,224 total square feet
282,593 s.f. of the total or 53.2% are at least 40 years of age.
In the case of the Grand Island Mall, a walk through in the public areas indicated that the interiors were
completely out of date and in dire need of updating.
Due to the age of the structures and specifically the total square footage, the age of the units would be a
direct contributing factor.
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 7
Figure 3
Unit Age Map
Source: Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates, 2012
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 8
Photo 1
Photo 3
Deterioration of Site or Other Improvements
The site improvements include the areas determined to be means of public ingress and egress to the study
area as well as the area designed to move vehicular traffic through the site. In addition, this includes the
actual surface parking areas. The condition of the site improvements vary greatly.
The Study Area contains a major deteriorated condition; the parking areas throughout the area, as well as the
demarcated driving areas.
The parking areas throughout the entire Study Area are
in a serious state of disrepair. In a number of situations,
the deterioration may present a potential hazard to
vehicles. The parking surface and driving areas contain
major surface break-ups and spawling. These conditions
have been likely caused by several circumstances over
the years, including:
Lack of maintenance
Sub-soil conditions
Heavier than expected traffic
Flooding in recent years
Freeze/thaw cycles
A number of these items can be prevented through
proper design, enforcement and maintenance, with
maintenance being a key.
Photos 1 through 7 indicate examples of different
deteriorated conditions within the parking and driving
areas across the entire site.
In addition to broken pavement in the Study Area, there
are some areas where the actual driving areas have
reverted to dirt and mud as seen in Photo 7.
Due to the large amount of broken pavement in the
Study Area, the parking areas are considered to be
deteriorated or in a state of deteriorating; therefore,
they are a direct contributing factor to the conditions of
blight.Photo 2
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 9
Photo 4 Photo 5
Photo 6 Photo 7
Photo 8
Drainage Conditions
Grand Island has a long history of drainage issues due to the extreme flatness of the area, as well as the high
water table. Topography and soils can have a major impact on how a given portion of the city drains. The area
designated in this Study Area is nearly flat or has an extremely small slope.
The visual survey of the site examined the entire area
for potential drainage problems. The fact the City of
Grand Island has one major and a couple of smaller
detention cells in the Study Area are a major indicator
as to the potential for flooding/drainage problems. The
largest detention cell in the Study Area is also located
on a prime intersection and on what could be a location
for a tenant in the area.
In addition, the entire Study Area is within the 100-year
floodplain; however, specific buildings/structures have
been amended out of the floodplain.
The photographs of the Study Area indicate standing
water within key drainage ways on the site, see Photo 8.
The drainage issue has also contributed to other problems in the area such as dictating traffic patterns in
order to not interfere with the drainage on site (see Photo 9).
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 10
Photo 9
Drainage way
Rerouted
circulation
pattern
Photo 10
In addition to Photos 8 and 9, Photo 10 is a picture that was taken on May 11, 2005 after the city of Grand
Island had been inundated by a spring storm that dropped nearly 8 inches of rain on the community. Photo 10
is from the southwest corner of the study area looking easterly.
Finally, standing water from poor drainage can be a
catalyst for Health issues like West Nile due to the
potential mosquito breeding that can occur.
Defective or Inadequate Street Layout
The circulation layout within the Study Area is a
haphazard means of ingress and egress based upon
specific ownership patterns and presumably a
series of easements across several properties.
The layout of the circulation pattern is simply done
primarily through painted demarcation on the
parking lots. There are minimal separation
components such as islands or wheel stops in the
Study Area, especially on the larger parking lots
adjoining ShopKo, the Grand Island Mall property,
and the Gordman property.
The traffic layout in some cases is greatly
dependent upon where the drainage system is
located in the area. In addition, due to the lack of
overall planning in the Study Area, circulation
between the different buildings and structures is
difficult.
Due to the fact that the overall circulation pattern
has been designed in an manner that allows
vehicular traffic to freely move and cut across
parking spaces as opposed to following a
prescribed route, then there is the presence of a
defective or inadequate street layout within the
Study Area and this is a contributing factor to the
area being blighted.
Unsanitary/Unsafe conditions
The first contributing factor is the standing water
and drainage issues that are found throughout the entire Study Area. This water has the potential to be the
breeding grounds for insects, especially mosquitoes and their potential to carry the West Nile Virus.
Based upon the field analysis, there are sufficient elements present for there to be unsanitary and unsafe
conditions in the Study Area. These conditions are predominately due to the drainage system and the
possibility of standing water within the area.
Faulty Lot Layout/Improper Subdivision or Obsolete Platting
The layout of properties and lots are a critical factor to successfully seeing property developed and users of
the property being able to function in a manner that minimizes the impact on the end users. Based upon the
boundaries for ownership in the Study Area, there are no specifically dedicated circulation areas other than a
few “fingers” that shoot out to State Street, Capital Avenue, and Webb Road.
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 11
In addition, the overall configuration of the lots, based upon the Assessor’s boundaries is confusing and
follows little rationale, even the Outlot where Taco John’s and Burger King are located appear to be after
thoughts.
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 12
Figure 4
Parcel Layout Map
Source: Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates, 2012
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 13
Photo 11
Diversity of Ownership
The diversity of ownership is not a common contributing factor that impacts an areas status as blighted and
substandard. In the case of Blight Area 9, the diversity of ownership is probably one of the more critical
elements present. Within the Study Area there are 17 different property owners. When redeveloping an area
similar to Blight Area 9, this level of diversity is a hindrance to redevelopment; therefore it becomes
necessary for the City and the CRA to become a party to the redevelopment activities. The City and CRA can
without major commitments aid in orchestrating the redevelopment effort. In addition, the availability of Tax
Increment Financing and other funding mechanisms can entice the property owners to undertake the
necessary activities.
Figure 5 shows the diverse ownership by parcel.
Based upon the diversity of ownership and the relatively confined area within Blight Area 9, there are
sufficient elements present to meet the statutory requirements.
Stable or Decreasing Population
Over the past 20 years the population within the study area has been stable. The population within the Study
Area has been 0 residents for the past two decennial censuses. Therefore, it meets the criteria for a stable or
decreasing population.
Other Contributing Factors
One of the final contributing factor towards the Study Area being declared as Blighted is the change in
assessed valuation in the area between 2011 and 2002. Overall, 11 of the 17 properties showed a decrease
in assessed valuation. These declining valuations are an indicator of:
A lack of overall investment in the structure/property
A general declining condition of the structure/property
An overall lack of investment in the entire area
The properties that are declining in assessed valuation
are having a negative impact on both the adjacent
property owners that may be investing in their properties
and the overall city assessment which translates into
how well the City can provide services to the general
public.
One final contributing factor is the existing location of the
Grand Island Mall pole sign on the Webb Road side of the
Study Area. Currently the sign poses a safety risk due to
its location. The pole sign is located in the middle of the
parking lot and is paved right up to the poles. In addition,
there are no barriers in place to minimize the potential
for vehicles to hit the sign. If a driver is not paying
attention and/or is unfamiliar with the parking lot
configuration the potential is good for a collision. Photo
shows the location of one of two poles supporting the sign.
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 14
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These conditions are contributing to the blighted conditions of the study area.
Age of Structure
o 5 of 16 units (31.2%) are 40 years of age or older.
o 282,593 square feet of the total 531,224 square feet (53.2%) of retail space is 40 years of age or
older
Existence of defective or inadequate street layout
o The only street layouts in the Study Area are striped parking areas with the main vehicular circulation
falling into the remaining areas.
o All streets/circulation areas are private property
Faulty lot layout in relation to size adequacy, accessibility or usefulness
o The Study Area is divided into 17 different owners and the boundaries are gerrymandered in no
logical manner.
Dangerous conditions to life or property due to fire or other causes
o The primary signage (pole sign) on the Webb Road side of the area has two large steel poles that
have no separation from the vehicular movements of the site.
o The parking lots are in a major state of disrepair and in some cases could easily cause damage to a
vehicle if they were driven over.
o The drainage system in the Study Area has the potential for standing water to be present.
Combination of factors which are impairing and/or arresting sound growth
o The Study Area is approximately 80 acres and has 17 different property owners; therefore the
diversity of ownership has the potential to impair sound growth
o The overall lack of investment in the area over the past 10 years. Of the 16 properties, 11 (64.7%)
have seen a declining assessed valuation.
Diversity of Ownership
o There are 17 different property owners within the Study Area. Some owners have invested in their
properties while others have done minimal maintenance at best.
Improper Subdivision or obsolete platting
o The Study Area is divided into 17 different owners and the boundaries are gerrymandered in no
logical manner.
Stable or decreasing population over last two decennial censuses
o The population of the Study Area has remained stable over the past 22 years.
The other criteria for Blight were not present in the area, these included:
Economic or social liability detrimental to health, safety and welfare,
Conditions provision of housing accommodations,
One-half of unimproved property is over 40 years old,
Inadequate provisions for ventilation, light, air, open spaces or sanitation, and
These issues were either not present or were limited enough as to have little impact on the overall condition
of the study area.
SSuubbssttaannddaarrdd CCoonnddiittiioonnss
Average age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years
Age of structures can be a contributing factor to the blighted and substandard conditions in an area. Statutes
allow for a predominance of units that are 40 years of age or older to be a contributing factor regardless of
their condition. Note that the age of structure was determined from the Appraisal data within the Hall County
Assessor’s website data.
Within the study area there is a total of 16 units. After researching the structural age on the Hall County
Assessor’s and Treasurer’s websites, the following breakdown was determined:
11 (68.8%) units were determined to be less than 40 years of age
5 (31.2%) units were determined to be 40 years of age or older
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 34 / 38
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City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 15
Even though there is not a predominance of units 40 years of age or older the ones that meet the criteria are
grouped together on the north end of the overall study area. Two of these units are the predominate
commercial units on the site and contain a large portion of the overall square footage of the buildings in the
area. A typical unit in which commercial uses are rated is square feet; therefore the following is a breakdown
of the square footage of buildings in the study area:
531,224 total square feet
282,593 s.f. of the total or 53.2% are at least 40 years of age.
In the case of the Grand Island Mall, a walk through in the public areas indicated that the interiors were
completely out of date and in dire need of updating.
Due to the age of the structures (specifically the total square feet), the age of the units would be a direct
contributing factor.
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Nebraska State Statute requires that at least one of five substandard factors be present in a community. This
Study Area in Grand Island has one of the five. The other criteria for Substandard were not present or the data
was not readily accessible in the area, these included:
Unemployment in the designated area is at least one hundred twenty percent of the state or national
average;
more than half of the plotted and subdivided property in an area is unimproved land that has been within
the city for forty years and has remained unimproved during that time;
the per capita income of the area is lower than the average per capita income of the city or in which the
area is designated
the area has had either stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses.
FFIINNDDIINNGGSS FFOORR GGRRAANNDD IISSLLAANNDD BBLLIIGGHHTT SSTTUUDDYY AARREEAA ##99
Blight Study Area #9 has several items contributing to the Blight and Substandard Conditions. These
conditions include:
Blighted Conditions
Diversity of Ownership
Defective or inadequate street layout
Faulty lot layout
Improper subdivision or obsolete platting
Unsanitary / Unsafe conditions,
Deterioration of site or other improvements,
Dangerous conditions to life or property due to fire or other causes,
Combination of factors which are impairing and/or arresting sound growth,
Average age of units is over 40 years of age.
Stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses
Substandard Conditions
Average age of the residential or commercial units in the area is at least forty years
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Blight and Substandard Study
City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 16
Figure 5
Diversity of Ownership Map
Source: Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates, 2012
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 36 / 38
Blight and Substandard Study
City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 17
Figure 6
Assessed Valuation Changes Map – 2002 to 2011
Source: Marvin Planning Consultants and Olsson Associates, 2012
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Blight and Substandard Study
City of Grand Island, Nebraska • March 2012 Page 18
CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONN
Based upon the issues and conditions indicated from the survey of this area, there is sufficient criteria
present to declare Area #9 of Grand Island as Blighted and Substandard as provided for in the Nebraska
Revised Statutes. The conditions found throughout the entire area constitute a designation of blighted and
substandard. The eventual use of Tax Increment Financing or other incentive programs would be of great
benefit to the entire area.
Grand Island Regular Session - 4/4/2012 Page 38 / 38