A decision on a re-zoning request from a Kansas City-based non-profit development company for an affordable housing project near McClellan Park has been pushed back.
Monday night, the Gering City Council had been scheduled to vote on the change for Oikos Development, which plans to build duplexes and quadplexes in the area.
A staff report was to be presented before the vote, but City Engineer Annie Folck said some last minute changes meant that needed to be delayed. “We received an email that came through last night, and we saw it first thing this morning, from the applicant stating that he no longer wishes to put covenants on the property,” said Folck. “We also had discussed only rezoning the portion of the property. He has stated that his desire for the city to act on the rezoning one way or another, yes or no, on rezoning the entire property with no covenants on there.”
Since the issues of a covenant and rezoning the land in phases was brought up after the Planning Commission’s recommendation, Folck said the change of heart by the developer did not have to go back through that process.
However, on the advice of the city attorney and staff, the issue was tabled for consideration at a future council meeting so staff would have time to update their report ahead of a vote on the request.
