Sidney blight study for undeveloped areas is finished
The recent blight study from the Sidney City Planning Commissioner was finalized? by the city council Tuesday.
By News Channel Nebraska
SIDNEY, Neb. — The recent blight study for Sidney was finalized by the city council Tuesday.
The Sidney City Council held three separate open public hearings on Tuesday night, one for each redevelopment area in Sidney.
The Blight and Substandard Study and final maps are finished by Bobbi Pettit, who owns Five Rule Rural planning.
Pettit said the last blight study was done in 1994.
According to Pettit, there are three different undeveloped areas in the city - areas A, B, and C. Area A is 379 acres, B is 9 acres, and C is 1,076 acres.
Pettit said that area A has four substandard factors present for redevelopment: deterioration, age obsolescence, conditions that endanger life or property by fire; and inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces.
“I am saying that your lack of pedestrian transportation is creating unsafe conditions,” Pettit said.
Pettit said that due to the large office buildings being vacant for over three years the deterioration of the area has increased.
Along with the four subjective factors, Pettit said area A has an objective factor which is a decreasing population.
Pettit said area B has five substandard factors present: deterioration; dilapidation; age; conditions that endanger life or property by fire; and inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces.
Pettit said the area is old because the structure in this area is over 60 years old.
Pettit said the area also has conditions that are dangerous.
“Most of the land within area B is served by one water main that has a diameter of four inches,” Pettit said.
According to Pettit, it is recommended that a water main must be at least six inches to provide adequate fire protection.
The objective factor related to area B is that more than half of the plotted and subdivided property in the area is unimproved land that has been within the city for 40 years and has remained unimproved.
“The Cheyenne County Assessor’s records indicate that this building was constructed in 1955,” Pettit said. “It can be assumed that this parcel has been unimproved since before 1982.”
The other objective factor related to area B is that the area has had either stable or decreasing population based on the last two decennial censuses.
“As far as anyone is aware, the population of this area has been zero since 2000,” Pettit said.
Pettit said the subjective factors for area C include: dilapidation, deterioration, age, obsolescence, conditions that endanger life or property by fire and other causes?, and inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces.
The objective factors for area C are the average age for the residential or commercial units in the area is at least 40 years.
“91 percent of the residential units in the area were constructed before 1982,” Pettit said. “It can be assumed the average structure is over 40 years old.”
Areas A, B, and C all meet the blight requirements and are in need of redevelopment projects recommended by the Sidney Planning Commission.
Now that the blight study is finalized the council will continue to discuss what comes next with renovating these three areas.
In other council business, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) requested assistance and support in locating and installing mobile generators.
Electric Superintendent Mike Palmer told the council MEAN narrowed down three potential locations for the generator. The South Substation, Hickory Street Substation, and Haskell Hill Location.
The council voted to continue discussing this project.