Council approves Urban Waters special use permit for Old Public Works site downtown

The Papillion City Council on July 15 approved a special‑use permit for Urban Waters’ redevelopment of the Old Public Works site downtown, a project the mayor characterized as the outcome of a multi‑year public process and a response to market demand for housing in the downtown area.

Why it matters: The permit clears a long‑studied redevelopment plan that will add small-scale multiunit housing (four‑plexes and duplexes in the project description) to the downtown site. Council members said repeated attempts to recruit large commercial tenants had not succeeded and that carefully scaled residential redevelopment can activate downtown and support nearby businesses.

Applicant presentation and council response Laura Tarpinia, representing the applicant, said the project had been before the council several times and she was available for questions. Council members discussed public reaction to a local news story that described the development as a “big apartment building”; several council members clarified for constituents that the project includes smaller multiunit buildings and a residential scale that matches the downtown context.

Councilman Mummgaard and Councilman Fanslow both said they had reconsidered earlier positions and concluded the proposed residential reuse is the most viable option for the site given market conditions and constraints such as floodplain changes and prior site remediation. The council approved Resolution R250141 by unanimous voice vote (7–0).

Next steps With the special‑use permit approved, the developer will proceed with required site plan and building‑permit reviews; staff will continue to work with the applicant on permitting and any necessary floodplain coordination or parking arrangements.