Hoppe Development has outgrown its current office space, and Fred Hoppe, one of the principals of the real estate company, believes he's found the perfect spot for a new one.
A year ago, Hoppe bought a house near 84th and A streets that borders his home, which abuts several acres of undeveloped land he owns east of 84th Street.
The plan, Hoppe said, is to build a new office of about 7,500 square feet behind the house on the lot at 1620 S. 84th St. that he bought. The house would stay and be used as a reception area and for conference space.
He said there are offices, including headquarters-type offices, all up and down 84th Street, which is generally five lanes (four lanes plus a middle turn lane) all the way across Lincoln.
"It seems to me like (the plan) fits," Hoppe said.
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However, the property is surrounded by residential development on all sides except the east, which is vacant land that Hoppe owns.
Because of that, he is seeking a change in the Comprehensive Plan designation for the site, along with a zoning change and annexation for 4.7 acres of undeveloped land.
None of the surrounding neighbors have expressed any opposition up to this point, and Hoppe said he's talked to several who told him they are in favor.
The owners of one neighboring property, Jeff and Mary Searcy, sent a letter to the Planning Commission praising the plan.
"Of the many uses that could be envisioned for the area, we are very appreciative of the proposed property enhancements," they wrote.
City officials, however, do not support the plan.
Planning Department staff recommended denial of all three applications, arguing that the proposal is inappropriate for the area because of the surrounding residences and also that it would violate the city's access management plan because it seeks access to an arterial street for just one property.
The city typically does not allow developments to take direct access off arterial streets, and it usually requires properties that have direct access to relinquish it when they redevelop.
Hoppe requested a waiver to the access management policy, saying that only about a dozen of the company's 30 or so employees would come to the site daily, so he did not believe it would increase traffic.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities denied the waiver, and Hoppe appealed to the City Council.
That aspect of the project weighed heavily on the minds of some commissioners, several of whom said they thought the project was a good one.
Commission Chairwoman Tracy Edgerton, who voted against recommending the project to the City Council, said she might have voted differently if she knew how the council was going to vote on the access waiver.
But Commissioner Dick Campbell said he doesn't see an issue because the driveway already exists.
"We're not adding a driveway here," he said.
Campbell and four other commissioners voted to recommend approval of the Comprehensive Plan amendment and annexation.
But on the zoning change, one of those commissioners, Gloria Eddins, voted no.
Campbell's motion on the zoning change included amendments from the developer, one of which would waive a requirement that it add a turn lane if it was allowed to keep the access on 84th Street, something Hoppe said would add several hundred thousand dollars in costs.
Eddins said she couldn't support the zoning change without the turn lane, however.
"If you want it commercial, then you have to build it commercial," she said. "And that means building the turning lane."
That left a 4-4 tie on the zoning change, falling short of the five votes in favor or opposed needed to move the application on to the City Council. That means the commission will have to vote again in two weeks.
In other business Wednesday, the Planning Commission:
* Voted to recommend approval of annexation of and zoning change on 6.75 acres of land near South First Street and West Denton Road. The land is owned by the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, which plans to use it for parking for the temporary WarHorse Casino while construction on the permanent casino resort takes place.
* Recommended approval of an amendment to the Van Dorn Redevelopment Plan, which covers approximately 102 acres around the intersection of Van Dorn Street with Ninth and 10th streets. The amendment adds a proposed redevelopment of Van Dorn Park and construction of a pedestrian crossing.