Commission recommends the rezoning of former Franklin School building

Despite the objections of some of the residents who live near the old Franklin School building, the Nevada Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend that the city council change the zoning on a portion of the property at 300 S. Spring St. from R-1, single family, to R-3, apartment district at the request of property owner Gary Lunkenheimer.

"This is the highest and best use for the property," said Lunkenheimer, who had amended the proposal he presented to the planning commission in January, to only change the zoning on the building itself and the parking immediately surrounding the structure. The rest of the square block will retain its current single family zoning. The original proposal called for rezoning the entire block to R-3, which would have permitted building additional apartment buildings in the future.

However, Warren Schooley, 805 W. Arch, told the commission that he and the other area residents who signed a petition opposing the zoning change were still against the rezoning, not because of the project proposed by Lunkenheimer, but because of what might happen in the future if there is not a market for the upscale apartments.

Schooley told the commission that there are areas of Nevada where this type of project would not have a negative impact, but in an old established neighborhood like that surrounding the old school, it would not be appropriate.

"I don't think it would be good for our neighborhood," he said.

While some of the neighborhood is opposed to the change, not all of the residents surrounding the old school are opposed to the project, in fact some are looking forward to the change.

"I'm all in favor of it," Frankie Davis, who lives on South Spring Street, told the commission. Davis lives directly south of the property.

She said that she has been living in a neighborhood of rentals and what Lunkenheimer is proposing would be an improvement to what surrounds her now.

"I welcome the change," she said.

The project is also receiving support from the Nevada-Vernon County Chamber of Commerce.

Dave Millam, chamber of commerce president, said that the chamber board voted to support Lunkenheimer's proposal.

Millam told the board that personally he would have been interested in an apartment complex like Lunkenheimer is proposing when he moved to town 2 1/2 years ago.

The chance to preserve a piece of Nevada history is a good reason to do something with the building, Jim Rice, who lives on North Washington Street, said.

Rice, who said he attended school there from kindergarten through sixth grade, told the commission that although he "is not married to the idea, but I am married to the idea of making some good use of the building,"

And, Rice said that he had yet to hear of any better use for the structure.

Rice told the commission that the building was designed by Charles A. Smith, who designed the Rialto building in Kansas City, and although not a great example of his work it is historically significant.

He said that just turning the building into an apartment building does not mean that it will be allowed to deteriorate.

"Lots of single family buildings and commercial buildings have fallen into disrepair," he said, adding that one of the buildings on the Nevada Square should not have been allowed to deteriorate to the point it had to be demolished before it collapsed.

"Maybe this is not the only viable option for the building, but its the only thing I've heard presented," Rice told the commission.

Although many of the area residents said they were not opposed to the project as long as Lunkenheimer was the owner, they are concerned with what happens to the property when it is sold at some point in the future.

Troy Rainey, who lives on Arch Street, said that he was not against the concept, but "my concern is in the future when it changes hands or the proposed clientele are not there."

Once the zoning is changed, it will remain zoned for apartments until the planning commission and city council act to change it.

"I like our neighborhood," Rainey said.

Planning commissioner Jeff Tweten said that he also had reservations about the zoning change because it is permanent; however, because of the nature of the building, the question is whether the zoning reasonable for the building.

"By all accounts it is not. Certainly R-1 is not reasonable. The only other option would be a church or a public building," Tweten said.

Tweten said that when you look at the zoning map there is property zoned for duplexes across the street and apartment zoning very close.

In other business the commission postponed consideration of a request to change the zoning at 612 W. Cherry St. from R-1, single family, to R-3, apartment district, to permit the operation of an adult day care facility, due to the illness of the Cynthia Niedens, who requested the change. The commission will take up that change during their regular March meeting at 5:30 p.m., March 8.

Commissioners also voted 5-0 to recommend the city council change the zoning on the old city landfill, located northeast of town, from R-1 to M-2, heavy industry, at the request of the city.

City manager JD Kehrman told the commission that because the property was formerly a landfill it can never be used for residential purposes. He said there is also a wetland on the property that would preclude its use for residential purposes. The property was originally zoned as R-1, single family residential, because all property that is annexed into the city is automatically zoned as R-1, until it is changed to some other category and since it was used for city the zoning had not been an issue. When the landfill was closed it retained it R-1 zoning.