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Neighbors press board on traffic, safety and wetlands; Westbury Creek replat/PUD laid over with condition for neighborhood meeting
Summary
After more than a dozen residents raised concerns about speeding, recent violent incidents, traffic impacts and a disputed wetland delineation, the board voted to lay over Richland Homes' Westbury Creek replat and PUD cases and required the developer to hold a neighborhood meeting with at least 14 days' notice before returning.
Dozens of Westbury Creek residents told the Omaha Planning Board on Aug. 5 they opposed converting portions of the subdivision to multifamily use, citing traffic safety, neighborhood character and environmental concerns. The board laid over the cases and attached a condition that the developer hold a neighborhood meeting before returning.
Resident Dalton Floren described a blind curve and speeding near the proposed multifamily entrance and said, "Adding a multifamily entrance to this area alone ... is going to increase traffic along this corridor" and worried for children who play outside. Several other speakers echoed traffic concerns and noted recent violent incidents in nearby apartment complexes; Sarah Orritt referenced the Omaha Master Plan's housing element and asked whether a traffic study had been done. Environmental concerns were raised by Kyle Zeleski, who said an earlier delineation set aside roughly one acre as jurisdictional wetland and that recent materials indicate the wetland has been destroyed and may now require mitigation.
Developer civil engineer Randy Kuchak said the proposal includes 32 multifamily units and two single‑family units and described the product as "a fourplex type product that's very single family residential in nature," noting similar developments nearby. Kuchak said a new wetland study provided with the submittal found the site no longer meets the prior definition of jurisdictional wetland and said the team is coordinating further with city staff and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. City staff told the board its recommendation for layover was driven primarily by the wetland questions. The board voted 5–0 to lay over the replat and the PUD request and attached a condition that the developer initiate a neighborhood meeting with at least 14 days' notice before returning to the board; staff indicated a return in October or later was likely if further work is required.
