Seward planning commission approves fourplex on Phoenix Road with conditions

The Seward Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to grant Phil Zimmerman a conditional use permit to build a fourplex at 2011 Phoenix Road.

"It would be 4 units, 2 one-bedroom units and 2 two-bedroom units," City Planner Courtney Bringhurst said. She said the project is similar to other fourplexes Zimmerman has built along Phoenix Road.

The permit's conditions "primarily mirror" what the city has required of past multifamily buildings, Bringhurst said. Zimmerman must provide at least four off-street parking spaces. Trash must go in bear-resistant containers inside a three-sided enclosure with a roof. Landscaping must be finished within a year after the city issues a certificate of occupancy.

Zimmerman didn't attend the meeting or call in, and no one testified. "I had questions for Mr. Zimmerman, but he's not here, so I guess I don't have any questions," Chair Clare Sullivan said. Asked whether her questions would have decided the vote, she said no.

Later in the meeting, the commission recommended code changes that would let three- to five-unit buildings like this one skip the conditional use permit in zones that allow higher-density housing, with the same kinds of parking, trash and landscaping rules written into city code. For projects that still need a permit, the applicant or a representative would have to attend the hearing. "As seen tonight, it is helpful to have the applicant here to ask those questions," Bringhurst said.

The City Council will make the final decision on those changes.