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Board opens public hearing, approves first reading to add nuclear facilities to zoning code
Summary
After multiple zoning-commission hearings and public comment, the Woodbury County Board opened a public hearing and approved a first reading of a zoning text amendment that would add nuclear energy facilities and related storage as allowed or conditional uses in the General Industrial zoning district; the measure expands public-notice requirements from 500 feet to 10 miles and was approved 5-0.
The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing at 4:40 p.m. and approved the first reading of a zoning text amendment to add nuclear energy facilities and associated storage and uses to the countys land-use code. The resolution does not authorize any specific plant; it creates a permitting pathway that would subject future proposals to conditional-use review in the General Industrial zoning district.
Daniel Priestley, the countys zoning coordinator, told the board the amendment is intended to clarify ordinance language and the permitting process rather than approve construction of a plant. "The proposed ordinance does not authorize any new nuclear plants or storage facilities," Priestley said, urging that the changes would ensure there is a clear, case-by-case evaluation process if an applicant appears. Priestley also said the Zoning Commission conducted multiple hearings over the past year and recommended expanding the public-notification zone for conditional uses from 500 feet to 10 miles.
Members of the public and tribal representatives urged caution at the hearing. Victoria Kitchion, chairwoman of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, asked the board to include the tribe among area stakeholders and argued potential developments risk tribal water rights, floodplain resilience and cultural resources; "Any nuclear development would impact the health, well-being, and federally protected water rights of the Winnebago tribe," she said. Other speakers urged the county to prioritize renewables, raise questions about water use and waste storage, or supported a proactive local approach to ensure the county can consider large power users.
Board members discussed traditional large reactors versus small modular reactors, industrial power demand and lost economic opportunities when the county could not meet a major user's electricity needs. One supervisor described modular units as smaller, faster-to-site options, while others emphasized that a first reading only creates a process: any project would still require review by the zoning commission and the Board of Adjustment. The board voted, 5-0, to approve the ordinances first reading and closed the hearing. "There's nothing on the table," the chair said, adding the amendment is about ensuring the county can evaluate proposals if and when they arise.
The county will hold additional public hearings at the zoning commission level; Priestley said two more hearings remain in the outreach schedule. The first-reading vote advances the text-amendment process; any specific proposal would require a separate application, conditional-use review and public notice under the revised ordinance.
