Planning and Zoning Commission fine-tunes comprehensive plan proposal

By Patrick Fisher

The New Prague Planning and Zoning Commission worked on some last minute items concerning the update to the city’s comprehensive plan at its Wednesday, Dec. 22 meeting.

The items came from comments that people had made at the open house for the comprehensive plan. Among the comments addressed:

• More commercial land along Highway 19 on the west side of the city.

• Traffic problems in the downtown area.

• Concerns about the transportation plan raised by people who live in the path of proposed corridors.

• Helena Township representatives concerned about the inclusion of the Raven Stream residential subdivision in the future growth boundaries, requesting the boundary be moved to the east, to Naylor Avenue.

• Geiger Land Development, Inc., sent a letter regarding the possible addition of two parcels of land in growth areas of the comprehensive plan.

Regarding commercial land on the west side of the city, Dan O’Neill and Brian Trnka, both of Geiger Land Development, and developer Randy Kubes all said the city should designate land for commercial use now, because once housing was set up it would be difficult to have a commercial area.

Commission chair Grant Gengel said he wouldn’t want to create an area that would compete with the downtown area, but he could see the need for small pockets of businesses.

Kay Wilcox, representative for the New Prague City Council, and commission members Bob Gilman and Pat Remfert agreed that they would support small business areas, but not a strip mall.

O’Neill said if the city had concerns about big box businesses moving in, it could zone the area for small businesses.

The idea of putting commercial on the west side to serve the residents there has support (with the commission)