Planning & Development

What We Do (i.e. Planning)

The mission of the Planning and Development Department is to protect and improve the City’s neighborhoods, business centers, community resources and natural environment while planning for sustainable development that will enhance the quality of life of all residents. The Department enforces zoning, subdivision and site development regulations. It reviews plans for compliance with state and local laws and assists property owners, developers and contractors with attaining project goals and objectives - all in an effort to help improve the City form and function. Lastly, the Department assists in administering programs that promote economic development.

Zoning

Zoning is an ordinance (for municipalities) or regulation (for counties) that divides land within the jurisdiction into districts in order to protect the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community by separating land uses into compatible groups and providing for development standards that preserve and protect the tax base. (Scholz et al., 2005) In November of 2017, the governing body enacted Ordinance No. 5427, repealing and replacing Chapter 11 of the Fremont Municipal Code ("FMC"), thus establishing the policies, practices, and procedures we use today.

Subdivision

Subdivision of land also falls under the purview of counties and municipalities. Subdivision regulations, also enacted by ordinance, specify the manner, plan, and method by which real property may be subdivided, platted, or laid out, including a plan or system for the avenues, streets, or alleys to be laid out within or across the county or municipality and to require the owners of land to conform to such plans and other requirements of the ordinances. (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 19-916)  As part of a comprehensive rewrite of the City's zoning and subdivision ordinances, Ordinance No. 5427, adopted November 28, 2017, also repealed and replaced the previous subdivision ordinance, incorporating subdivision regulations into FMC, Chapter 11.  

Site Development

The site plan review procedure is an administrative review process that evaluates civil construction drawings for compliance with various aspects of City codes and ordinances including, but not limited to, utilities, grading, excavating, storm water detention/retention, water quality controls, environmental protections, traffic patterns, circulation, parking, landscaping, buffering and screening. Unlike the subdivision improvement review procedure, which is geared towards the infrastructure necessary to support a new subdivision, the site plan review procedure is focused on individual site development plans and their impact on neighboring properties.

References

Scholz, G., Gerdom, J., Huston, T., Keelan, T. and Hanna, B., Shukert, M., Stahr, O. & Wozniak, R. (2005). Nebraska Planning Handbook, First Edition.