Planning commission advances solar farm proposal

North Platte moved a step closer to its first solar farm Tuesday, as the Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for the project.

No one from the public spoke for or against the project. The vote was 8-1. Premier Energy proposes to build a 21.8-acre solar farm at Victoria Lane and State Farm Road. To operate in this location, a conditional use permit is required. The solar farm would be privately constructed and operated, aiming to sell energy to North Platte Municipal Light & Water through the city’s sub-transmission system.

Jeff Cooke Coyle, a Premier Energy representative, described the site as an ideal location due to its isolation from residential neighborhoods and compatibility with surrounding land uses. Coyle said that solar generation could help reduce North Platte’s wholesale power purchases and offer long-term cost stability.

However, he also acknowledged that several conditions must be met before construction, including securing an interconnection agreement with Municipal Light & Water and a guaranteed purchaser for the electricity that is produced. Coyle said Premier they won’t go ahead with the project without the purchase agreement.

The commission agreed that the project met the criteria of the city’s zoning ordinances and recommended approval, with the condition that all elements of the application be followed, such as fencing heights and lighting specifications.

Commissioner Kert McKeone cast the sole dissenting vote.

The proposal now moves to the city council for consideration on Dec. 2.

Previously, Premier Energy suggested that the city take over the solar farm when it’s built, but City Administrator Layne Groseth said the costs would increase electric bills for residents and businesses. The suggestion was never brought to a vote.

New residential area

Midwest Land Development LLC, the owners of an 800-unit residential development on land previously owned by Fritz Farms, submitted a request to reconfigure the first of several planned subdivisions.

The project is said to be the biggest housing development in the city’s history. It lies south of Philip Ave. on North Platte’s east side, just west of Devco Ave. in the city industrial park. The land is south of Winsupply and 308 Outfitters. New streets are planned from 1120 Andy Ave. to 1109 Gwynn Ave.

The original layout was designed for single-family homes, but the revision converts the area to duplexes. Under the replat, lot lines will divide each duplex down the middle, allowing each side to be sold individually rather than as a building unit. The number of parcels will increase from 21 to 34.

The commission voted 8-1 to recommend approval of both the preliminary and final plats. Commissioner Glenn Van Velson cast the lone no vote.

The city council is also expected to consider the subdivision for final approval on Dec. 2.

Chase

A second subdivision request from Roxanne M. Chase sought preliminary and final approval to split an I-1 Light Industrial parcel at 802 E. Walker Road into two lots.

The zoning staff said utilities are available and the split complies with zoning requirements. The commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation, and the city council is expected finalize it on Dec. 2.

Also, a public hearing was held on whether to annex 51.97 acres of government-owned land into the corporate limits of North Platte. No one from the public spoke. The proposal covers several tracts of city-owned land, including a large wedge-shaped area near E. 12th St. and Roosevelt Ave., on the east edge of the city, as well land adjoining W. Park Drive, the riverbank, and Centennial Park. The zoning staff recommended approval.

As with other annexations, city officials cite several reasons for the expansion — promoting orderly, predictable long-term growth; giving the city greater authority over land-use decisions as development pushes south and east; preventing patchwork development that complicates the provision of municipal services; and ensuring more compatible land uses around existing residential areas.

Planning Administrator Judy Clark said the annexation will help eliminate confusion over jurisdiction during emergency calls, particularly along the river, where boundaries can be challenging to determine.

The commissioners unanimously voted to recommend approval of the annexations, and the city council is expected to begin a series of three required readings at its Dec. 2 meeting.

The final public hearing focused on a request to amend an existing conditional use permit to allow additional storage buildings at 3880 Hadley Dr., which is east of the new Fat Dogs Travel Center off the Newberry I-80 exit (179). The application, submitted by Lakeside Campground Holding Company LLC, seeks to expand storage on the B-2 Highway Commercial property, which currently contains two enclosed buildings used for boat and RV storage.

Lakeside Campground plans to construct one new recreational-vehicle storage building immediately, with three additional buildings proposed for future phases. City planning staff reported no anticipated negative impacts, noting that the expansion “does not appear to negatively impact the public interest” and is consistent with surrounding development. They also said the project is expected to increase the site’s taxable valuation.

The original conditional use permit for the first two storage buildings was approved in October 2022. Although commissioners David Fudge, Emily Wurl, and Lee Davies questioned whether additional storage units were the ideal first impression for drivers entering North Platte, they ultimately joined the rest of the commission in unanimously recommending approval.

Fudge closed the meeting by revisiting the October annexation votes and cautioned commissioners to remain mindful of their role. He noted that much of the follow-up from the previous meeting focused on those annexation proposals, which the city council has since advanced through two rounds of voting in the face of opposition from residents.

Fudge acknowledged that annexations are rarely pleasant to navigate, but said when an application meets all required criteria, the commission has a duty to move it forward, even when public testimony is against it.

He reminded commissioners that while a few residents may speak in opposition, the city’s decisions also impact the roughly 24,000 people who do not attend the meetings and may very well support the proposals. Fudge added that the recent actions are unlikely to be the end of annexation discussions, with more proposals expected after the 2026 election year.

Planning commission advances solar farm proposal

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