Garden City adopts major PUD code rewrite, clears funding path for four Greenbelt pocket parks

The Garden City City Council on Monday adopted a comprehensive rewrite of the city's planned unit development (PUD) code and authorized staff to continue developing a proposed set of four pocket parks linking the Greenbelt to downtown.

City attorney Charles Wadhams summarized Ordinance 10-56-25 before the council, calling it "a pretty extensive rewrite" of Title 8 development code and recommending a third reading and adoption as amended. The ordinance repeals and replaces the city's existing PUD and minor PUD provisions and consolidates changes across chapters addressing property maintenance, accessory dwelling units, multifamily and mixed-use development standards, definitions and design-review criteria.

The PUD rewrite narrows required findings for approval to five objective tests, Wadhams said, and adds provisions staff recommended after stakeholder input. He told the council some specific limits are now explicit in the code: the PUD process "shall not be used solely for obtaining variances," and standards required by the code "shall not be adjusted" through PUD applications. The ordinance also includes a new provision that, for certain large nonresidential developments with secured common corridors, a Knox Box or equivalent approved by the Garden City Police Department is required for life-safety access.

Councilmember Rasmussen moved the third reading of Ordinance 10-56-25 as amended; the council approved the third reading and then voted to adopt and publish the ordinance on a subsequent motion. Roll-call votes on the third reading and adoption were recorded as affirmative by Councilmembers Rasmussen, Jorgensen and Page; the motions carried.

Earlier in the meeting Hannah Ball presented a concept for four small Greenbelt-oriented parks at 30 Second, 30 Third, 40 Second and Fortieth streets and asked the council to authorize staff to continue development work and report back. Ball said two of the sites might be able to use Fairview Acres lateral water as a park amenity and that urban renewal staff had expressed support for a preliminary budget estimate. She told the council the combined, very preliminary estimate for all four sites was "100 to $200,000, depending on the scope," and that some sites could require public-private agreements with adjacent property owners such as the Boys & Girls Club.

Councilmembers generally praised the concept and endorsed continued work. A motion "for continued efforts in the potential URA project," to direct staff to advance the planning and keep the council updated, was moved and seconded and passed unanimously. The motion recorded an instruction for frequent council updates as the project develops.

Other business the council approved on Monday included two board reappointments: Russ Heller to the Garden City Library Board for a five-year term and Kent Brown to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a three-year term (June 2025 to June 2028). Both reappointments passed by roll-call votes.

The council also approved the draft decision for CPA FY2024-00006 (findings of fact, conclusions of law, and decision), following city attorney Wadhams' presentation of the legal rationale and interfaith-case considerations. The motion to approve the CPA decision passed by roll call with Councilmembers Page, Rasmussen and Jorgensen recorded as voting yes.

Staff requested and the council approved several administrative items: a resolution authorizing surplus property disposition (Resolution 12-08-25), and authorization for the mayor to execute an agreement with Keller Associates Inc. for engineering design work on East-end street projects and an Urban Renewal project on 30 Third Street. The council recorded affirmative votes on both items.

No appealable or contested votes were recorded in the meeting minutes provided. Several councilmembers and staff noted that some sites and design elements will require additional surveying, easement research, and coordination with partners and vendors; staff said they would return with further details and estimated costs as the projects are scoped.

The council adjourned after routine consent and department reports.