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Council approves 7630 Pacific rezoning and TIF after neighbors raise traffic and scale concerns
Summary
The council approved rezoning and tax-increment financing tied to the 7630 Pacific apartment project, approving items 13–15 and item 28 (TIF) unanimously; neighbors pressed developers on density, parking, traffic and green‑space buffers, and city staff provided crash history and design protections including a 20‑foot north buffer.
The Omaha City Council voted to approve rezoning and related approvals for a proposed apartment development at 7630 Pacific Street and to move forward with a tax‑increment financing (TIF) arrangement tied to the project.
Multiple neighbors spoke in opposition during the public hearing, raising concerns about the project’s scale, parking and traffic near the busy 78th & Pacific intersection. Resident Andrew Best asked how the project reaches "34 units on only 0.48 acres," citing zoning criteria and urging clarification. Penny Warren and Leslie Myers emphasized congested traffic near three hospitals and requested additional green‑space buffers; Leslie Myers pressed the developer for taller screening trees.
Developer Ryan Spellman (Parkway Development Company) responded that the project will meet PUR (infill overlay) and urban design code requirements, commit to a 20‑foot buffer on the north side with tall pines and a buried garage that reduces visibility from adjacent homes, and provide on-site trash, package room and courtyard amenities. City Planning and Public Works staff explained that LO zoning with a PUR overlay defaults apartment parameters to R6 regulators but PUR allows design flexibility for infill; Public Works reported crash history at 78th & Pacific and estimated peak trips for a 34‑unit project as "about 1 car every 4 minutes" during the peak hour.
Councilmember Roe asked for a TIF 101 briefing; Bridget Hadley (City Planning) described TIF mechanics: property must lie within a community redevelopment area (CRA) as defined by state statute, new incremental tax revenue rebated to the developer (commonly over 15 years) to help pay development costs, and CRA designations are subject to statutory definitions of "substandard" and "blighted." After the staff presentation and public comments, the council approved the rezoning/resolutions (items 13–15) and the TIF‑related item (item 28) by roll call votes of 6–0.
The approvals include design conditions spelled out in the PUR process; neighbors and the developer agreed to ongoing communication during construction. The council emphasized public outreach and the statutory process for CRA designation.
