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Planner briefed commissioners on request to vacate Branched Oak plat to allow Community Unit Plan
Summary
County planning staff told commissioners the Preserve at Branched Oak Addition currently holds an agricultural-preservation plat allowing four dwellings; the property owner seeks to vacate that plat to pursue a Community Unit Plan that would add a dwelling via a density bonus while preserving at least 70% of the land as open/agricultural space.
George Wesselhoft, planner with Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning and Development Services, briefed the Lancaster County Board on April 2 about a land-use request in the northwest part of the county near West Branched Oak Road.
Wesselhoft said the Preserve at Branched Oak Addition is currently approved as an agricultural preservation plat that permits four dwelling lots under the one-per-20-acre density standard. The property owner is seeking to vacate that plat so a Community Unit Plan (CUP) can be filed. Under the CUP proposal, the owner would be eligible for a density bonus allowing an additional dwelling unit if the plan sets aside at least 70% of the land for agricultural or open-space use.
Wesselhoft told the board the Planning Commission approved the CUP special permit, but the final authority to vacate the existing plat rests with the County Board and requires a public hearing at an upcoming regular meeting. He confirmed that property owners within a one-mile radius were notified and that county staff received one comment referencing nearby hunting activity; that communication did not constitute formal opposition in staff's record. Commissioner Rick Vest emphasized the importance of public awareness of potential impacts on hunting and rural uses.
The item will be placed on the next regular Tuesday meeting agenda for public hearing and final consideration by the Board.
Why it matters: vacating the plat is the legal step that allows the CUP process to proceed; if approved, the CUP would enable one additional dwelling while preserving large portions of the parcel as agricultural/open space, and it triggers statutory notice and public hearing requirements.
