Omaha Planning Board lays over proposed West Shores apartment plan after residents cite sewer, safety and notice concerns

The Omaha Planning Board on a split vote opted to lay over a conditional‑use application for a proposed 124–125‑unit apartment development at West Shores, a lakeside neighborhood west of Omaha. The decision came after hours of public testimony from residents, the local homeowners association and village officials highlighting infrastructure and safety concerns.

The project team, represented by attorney Jim Busier and developer Gerald Reimer, sought conditional‑use approval to build multifamily housing on two commercial out‑lots. Busier described the proposal as “a 125 more or less unit apartment project” and said the developer would not proceed unless sewer and other utility issues were resolved. He asked that the board approve the zoning step so the team could invest in engineering and negotiations with local service providers.

Opponents urged delay. West Shores HOA president Carl Bortle told the board the HOA polled residents and that 275 of 279 respondents opposed the project. He raised safety and liability concerns tied to the community’s private lake and seawall access and said the neighborhood’s volunteer emergency services and wastewater arrangements were already strained. Village of Waterloo administrator Melissa Smith confirmed the village is “concerned about the sewer capacity and being able to sustain building of that size,” and said the village has only just begun preliminary design work on possible upgrades.

The SID (special improvement district) and a retained engineer also warned that the 2000 interlocal agreement and existing wastewater plant were not sized for the additional flow the apartments would generate. In the transcript, a consultant cited the SID’s original design population of about 1,100 and a design hydraulic flow of 130,000 gallons per day as benchmarks that the proposed project would stress.

Developer and project architects said they will not build until sewer and water questions are resolved and offered to keep working with residents. Gerald Reimer told the board he was “fully prepared to work” with the HOA on rules and access.

After extensive public comment, board members split on next steps. Several members said they were persuaded by residents’ concerns about outreach and emergency service capacity; others noted the land is zoned commercial and that future commercial uses could be proposed without a public hearing. The board voted 5–1 to hold the application for further neighborhood outreach and technical follow‑up.

What happens next: the applicant and neighborhood were asked to meet again and to provide more detailed sewer, water and public‑safety analyses before the item returns to the Planning Board. The board noted that a conditional‑use approval would lapse if no building permit is obtained within two years.