Planning board approves land‑use change for multifamily project near industrial site, requires traffic study

The Omaha Planning Board voted 6–0 to approve a change to the future land‑use map, rezoning and a PUR overlay for a planned multifamily development west of 25th Avenue and Center Street. The board’s approvals were conditioned on completion of a traffic impact study and incorporation of any recommended improvements before the project advances to city council for final action.

Neighbors and a lawyer representing a nearby concrete‑mixing operation said the site sits adjacent to heavy industrial truck traffic and urged caution. Jack Suter, representing Central Ready Mix, told the board the nearby plant has “about 120 aggregate dump trucks, 20 cement tankers, and roughly 240 concrete mixers” at peak usage and said he worried about resident safety where access routes intersect those truck movements.

Applicant representatives said they have commissioned a traffic study that will analyze existing conditions, add projected trips from the development, and recommend traffic‑control changes where warranted. Ryan Haas of the Public Works Department explained the study’s methodology and said the project will not be forwarded to city council until the traffic study is formalized, approved by the city and any required improvements are incorporated into the subdivision agreement.

Board members said they share safety concerns but also recognized the need for infill housing. The board’s motions approved the future land‑use amendment, preliminary and final plat approvals and the PUR overlay, each with the condition that recommended improvements from the traffic study be resolved prior to council review.

What’s next: The developer must finalize the traffic study and work with city public‑works staff to address any recommended improvements. The city will incorporate required mitigation into the subdivision agreement before forwarding the applications to city council.