New Housing Taking Shape, Debated

The Kimball City Council conducted six public hearings at its Tuesday, April 16, meeting. The hearings were to subdivide and rezone three specific areas destined for new housing.

The Lighthouse subdivision, owned by Clean Harbors, Inc., located west of Highway 71 and south of Kimball’s Ninth Street, was re-platted and rezoned to include a mix of single-family and multifamily districts.

The only comment received was from council candidate Austin Garner. He said that “there was a missed opportunity” because a park and a walking trail should be located on that side of town or incorporated into the subdivision so kids don’t have to cross Highway 71 to play in City Park or Gotte Park.

The council unanimously approved the planning commission’s recommendation to rezone the Lighthouse District from R-1 Single Family Residential District to R-1 Single Family Resident District with an overlay of R-3 Multi-Family Residential District.

The proposed Antelope Ridge subdivision south of Interstate 80 was on the agenda next, and it met with resistance from the neighbors concerning storm drainage, annexation, driveway access, construction trash, landfill usage and utilities. Antelope Ridge is the brainchild of Ryan and Stephanie Risk, with Graves Development Resources as the developer.

Antelope Ridge neighbor Dixie Smith expressed concern about the disappearance of the grasslands “We live in the Great Plains, which is the largest ecosystem of its kind, and we need to be proud of it and protect it,” she said. “Protect it. Native grasslands in America are disappearing at an alarming rate.”

Don Zwoniter went on record as opposed to the Antelope Ridge subdivision. The Zwonites live at the old Atlas Minute site.

In response to some of the concerns from the neighbors, Michael Olsen, an MC Shaft engineer, explained that storm run-off design methods will be used as will other requirements necessary for the development. He also explained that the subdivision would be a Sanitary Improvement District with its own taxing authority.

The final subdivision and rezoning property before the council was from Anna and Wesley Mietus, with their son Mark Mietus as the developer. There were no comments on the R-3 change for the multi-family four duplex units earmarked for the vacant lot north of the Days Inn. Council approved the rezoning application from C-2 Light Commercial District to R-3 Multi-Family District subject to the approval of a variance by the Board of Adjustment.

In other business, the 2022-23 fiscal year audit was summarized by Michael Hoback, CPA/Auditor AMGI. Hoback listed the most significant expenses and then said that the city debt increased by about 9% from last year. Each fund was listed individually, along with the assets and liabilities.

The mayor’s report by Mayor John Morrison mentioned that Kimball is adding and upgrading housing in the city. The council had been working with PADD (Panhandle Area Development District) to help clean up distressed properties, but Morrison said that PADD decided not to work with the city. At next month’s council meeting, a new company will bring a proposal to help the city with empty and distressed properties.

The report from Annette Brower, city administrator, detailed that the power generation plant is 65% complete and the design specs are almost complete for the wastewater treatment plant.

The council will meet for its next regular meeting at 5 p.m. May 15.