Bellevue approves plans for 730 new homes/riverfront park

[eomaha]

Bellevue council OKs housing, park plans

The Bellevue City Council paved the way Monday for about 730 new homes and the development of a riverfront park for its new and old residents to enjoy.

They gave preliminary or final approval to three housing developments that would put about 600 of those homes on the southern edge of Bellevue.

The Orchard Valley and Hyda Hills developments, which received preliminary approval, would add homes north of Platteview Road.

Orchard Valley would have 36 lots; Hyda Hills would have 425.

The council gave final approval to nearby Williamsburg, which will put about 140 residences west of the Kennedy Freeway near the Tregaron housing area.

The farmland south of Bellevue is where city leaders have expected development, in part, because it is one of the only areas the city can grow.

A controversial development in another part of the city won a zoning change Monday after a compromise between the developer and neighbors.

Neighbors have been opposed to Brookside, a 130-lot development at 25th Street and Cornhusker Road. It will be next to the already approved, 190-home Brook Park.

The two developments originally were one, but they were separated and the number of lots lowered a bit after Celebrity Homes failed to win approval.

Neighbors had signed a petition against Brookside, meaning Celebrity would need eight votes instead of a simple majority to win a zoning change from the council.

So Celebrity worked with neighbors and made a number of compromises - including an increase in a number of the lot sizes and buffering the homes on 25th Street with a 6-foot fence and an evergreen screen.

The neighbors, in turn, withdrew their petition, and the rezoning passed unanimously. The council delayed voting on Brookside's preliminary plat until its next meeting.

In other business, the council also unanimously agreed to match $1.25 million the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District is offering to develop a riverfront park that city leaders have long dreamed of.

Bellevue is planning to put a Frisbee golf course, a concert site and a water playground at the 101 acres where the Kramer Power Plant once stood.

The park will join the 155 acres at Haworth Park, giving Bellevue a sizable park right on the river - something unusual in an urban area, said Steve Oltmans, the resources district's general manager.

The district board must still approve the contribution.

The city can use in-kind contributions, grants or general funds to pay for its portion, said Bellevue City Administrator Gary Troutman.

The council also voted to study the wastewater treatment plant, which is on the former Kramer site. The city would consider using Omaha's Papillion Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant east of La Platte.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I wish the petition would have required Celebrity Homes to hire better architects and not increase the lots sizes.

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Celebrity Homes uses architects?

[OmahaDevelopmentMan]

Celeberty Homes builds houses??? I thought they made square boxes?

[Coyote]

Bellevue plans new riverfront development

Back to the River fever is spreading throughout the metro area as Bellevue plans for their own riverfront development.

The city council unanimously agreed this week to pledge $1.25 million for the project. The Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District has already said they are considering a donation of another $1.25 million to develop a riverfront park that will adjoin Haworth Park in Bellevue. Both donations would be paid over a four year span, however, the NRD must still approve their contribution.

The plan calls for developing a Frisbee golf course, a water playground and an 11-acre festival and concert site with the Missouri River as a backdrop on 101 acres where the Kramer Power Plant once stood. The city hopes to take ownership of the land from the Nebraska Public Power District in April.

Bellevue has already been granted $400,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to build environmental kiosks along trails in the northern 40 acres of the site. The remaining land would be used for the new development.

One obstacle still remains, the city's sewage plant. The city council agreed to study a plan that would involve using Omaha's Papillion Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant east of La Platte instead. This would allow for the elimination of the sewage plant if necessary. The land use plan shows ball fields where the plant is now.

Big Muddy Workshop developed the draft plan at the request of the city. Although it is still a draft, a plan was needed in order for the city to apply for grants and acquire other necessary funding.

When completed, the development will join the 155 acres that make up Haworth Park. Current features of the park include camping, a playground, tennis court and ice rink. Bellevue Marina, which has 200 boat slips, a launch ramp, gas & ice sales plus other amenities is located just to the south.



Draft of Bellevue's Haworth Park North Land Use Plan

[Finn]

This is great. When NPPD first indicated that they were looking to divest this asset (Kramer Power Station), I was worried the city would not end up with it. It is another link in the trail system that will link to the Omaha Riverfront Trail.

[RockHarbor]

I'm glad Bellevue is getting some new developments. Although I don't want too much development to go into Sarpy County, over Douglas, I am happy overall to see the Omaha region grow on every side (of course).

[nativeomahan]

I'm glad Bellevue is getting some new developments. Although I don't want too much development to go into Sarpy County, over Douglas, I am happy overall to see the Omaha region grow on every side (of course).

A rising tide floats everyone's boats. Bellevue is overdue for some quality developments. It sounds like they are at least going to get a mix of low, mid and higher housing stock with the recent announcemets.

[Swift]

I'm glad that they are doing this, though it does seem a bit odd to me. Some of the stuff they are putting in there seems more appropriate for a suburb than for the riverfront (multiple baseball fields, a golf course), but they designed it pretty well so that it shouldn't feel out of place.

Also, I like that there is a possibility of someone being able to knock a homer into the river.

Though I don't know the scale of that rendering to determine how realistic that actually is.

[DTO Luv]

Some of the stuff they are putting in there seems more appropriate for a suburb than for the riverfront (multiple baseball fields, a golf course), but they designed it pretty well so that it shouldn't feel out of place.

Uhh Bellevue is a suburb.

[Swift]

Some of the stuff they are putting in there seems more appropriate for a suburb than for the riverfront (multiple baseball fields, a golf course), but they designed it pretty well so that it shouldn't feel out of place.

Uhh Bellevue is a suburb.

Well duh, but I mean a sprawling west-o type waste of space thing.

[DTO Luv]

I get you. But one thing about that site is that it's pretty secluded even from most of Bellevue. It's not going to be a major business center so what they are planning fits them. I don't know if it's a waste really but it's better than the cornfields there now.

[Swift]

Yeah and maybe one day we will be able to connect our riverfron with theirs. Ours being more shops, tourist and business oriented, theirs more for outdoor recreation.

It'd be nice to see some form of lite rail that runs along the riverfront. It'd be nice to see some for of lite rail period.