A planned office building on what is now an acreage at 84th Street and Firethorn Lane could be the first of several development projects in the area, an attorney for the owner says.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a zoning change and a use permit to allow up to 26,400 square feet of office space on the 2.75 acre site that is on the southeast corner of 84th and Firethorn.
Brad Marshall, an Olsson Associates engineer representing property owner Philip Wenta, said the development would be staged, with a 13,400-square-foot office building planned on the western portion of the site and three residential lots planned for the eastern portion.
Marshall did not say when building might start or whether the office or homes would be built first.
Wenta, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting and could not be reached for comment, lives in a home on the lot with his family and will continue to do so "at least for another several years," said Mark Hunzeker, an attorney representing Wenta.
Hunzeker said the application is one of several similar proposals that are likely to come before the commission in the coming years.
Up until a few years ago, when the city started building the Stevens Creek trunk sewer line east of 84th Street, the street was a "blue line that marked the end of the city," Hunzeker said.
Because of the lack of sewer and water infrastructure, much of what was built in the area consisted of acreages and churches, he said.
Now property owners are looking to redevelop those properties with higher and more intense uses to maximize their value.
"I think you'll see more as time goes on,"Â Hunzeker said.Â
The proposal will still have to be approved by the City Council.
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Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
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