Council approves rezoning of Washington Heights after residents press drainage concerns

FREMONT, Neb. — The Fremont City Council voted unanimously June 30 to rezone 1.68 acres in the Washington Heights neighborhood from R1 (low-density residential) to R2 (low–medium residential), clearing the way for smaller lots and attached single-family duplex units intended to add housing supply.

Planning Director Jeff Ray told the council the property owner’s proposal would reduce minimum lot sizes slightly — proposed lots submitted to date will be roughly 4,800 square feet rather than the R1 5,000-square-foot minimum — and allow two-bedroom, zero-entry units that staff said fit the area’s existing infrastructure. Ray said building permits will require grading and a drainage plan and recommended adding a condition requiring drainage swales and easements to keep the swales clear to prevent runoff onto adjacent properties.

Neighbors voiced repeated concerns at the public hearing about known drainage and flooding in the area. Connor Young Hands, who owns property on Westside Avenue, asked council to be confident that existing drainage issues have viable solutions and a timeline for implementation so new homes will not worsen flooding for current residents. Longtime residents Bruce Nelson and Gloria Triggs told the council the area has a documented history of flooding and urged care to avoid creating or worsening drainage problems.

Corey Christensen, representing the developer, said the homes proposed are two-bedroom duplexes similar to other recent projects and that engineers (JEO) are preparing plans showing swales that drain to the street and would not direct water onto neighboring properties. A representative said the FEMA Letter of Map Revision had taken parts of the area out of the floodplain but that localized drainage remains a neighborhood concern that the project’s drainage measures are designed to avoid worsening.

Council debate focused on balancing the city’s affordable-housing strategy with residents’ concerns. Councilman Peterson moved to approve the ordinance; council later voted to suspend the rules and advance the measure to final reading the same night. The council approved the ordinance on final reading 7–0. The ordinance as approved includes the conditional requirement that drainage swales be preserved by recorded easement beneath future building permits.

Why it matters: The zone change allows the owner to subdivide slightly smaller lots and build attached single-family units intended to add affordable housing supply. Residents who live near the affected lots remain concerned about stormwater management and asked the city to make engineered drainage protections a firm condition of permits and easements rather than a later-assessed mitigation.

What’s next: The ordinance specifies the effective date in the body of the ordinance; future building permits must include the drainage plans, grading permits, and any easements required by staff to meet the condition added at approval.