North Platte City Council to mull Francis Street extensions

Preparations for East Francis Street’s upcoming extension and second-round votes on annexation ordinances account for much of a busy North Platte City Council agenda Tuesday. This map, published with a Jan. 22 Telegraph story on a hypothetical future North Platte Public Safety Building site (in red) includes the projected west-to-east extension (in blue) of North Platte's East Francis Street through the coming Midwest Land development and on to Newberry Access near the Sustainable Beef meatpacking plant.

City Council members Tuesday will consider creating paving districts to build the extensions' western end to Bryan Avenue and east from Devco Avenue (center, bottom) to Newberry. The top-to-bottom blue line shows the future route of South Bicentennial Avenue. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.



m. in the City Hall council chamber, 211 W. Third St.

, and may be viewed on Allo Communications Channel 1 and the city’s YouTube channel. To view the livestream online and access the meeting’s agenda book, visit northplattene.gov/watch .

Council members will be asked to create three paving districts as planning accelerates to complete Francis as a through street from McDonald Road to Newberry Access. The city’s recently approved 2024-25 one- and six-year road plan calls for paving two segments that would extend Francis from its current end east of South Tabor Avenue to Devco Avenue near the North Platte post office. Those plans would run the south central North Platte street through the 222-acre Midwest Land Development LLC project expected to ultimately hold more than 800 housing units.

The westernmost of the three paving districts to be discussed Tuesday would complete Francis to South Bryan and extend the latter street south to meet it, City Administrator Layne Groseth said. Midwest Land is building the next part of Francis from Bryan to Devco. That doesn’t require a paving district because it’s being privately built and will be dedicated to the city, said Groseth and City Engineer Brent Burklund.

The other two paving districts would extend Francis further east, first to a projected extension of Bicentennial Avenue and finally to Newberry at the Golden Road intersection to the Sustainable Beef meatpacking plant. Unlike the first two segments, the easternmost segments appear on the long-term part of the current city road plan. But Groseth said the Nebraska Department of Economic Development has given North Platte a nearly $1.

6 million grant to pay three-fourths of the cost of building the Bicentennial-to-Newberry segment. The DED grant covers 75% of that portion’s construction cost, with the city required to pick up the rest, he said. City officials are asking the council to create the eastern segments’ paving districts now to help secure the financing for both, Groseth said.

When it comes to the Devco-to-Bicentennial section, “we don’t have that part resolved,” he added. “I guess we’re looking at all options.” In two unrelated paving projects, the council will consider approving a $402,228 contract with Level LLC of North Platte for the first-time paving of West 15th Street from Hayes to Custer avenues and Custer from 15th to 16th.

Both have been graveled streets. A $440,200 Community Development Block Grant will pay much of the cost, with the city covering the rest. Level submitted the lowest of three bids, followed by Steele’s Roofing and Construction of North Platte at $412,537 and Paulsen Inc.

of Cozad at $488,193. Level also turned in the $124,865 low bid to pave Cody Park’s west parking lot and a nearby sidewalk in connection with the voter-approved renovation and expansion of Cody Pool. F&A Concrete Finish of Gibbon bid $129,308, followed by Steele’s at $135,874.

In other action, the council will take the second of three required votes on each of a quartet of ordinances to annex Pals Brewing Company and three nearby segments in southwest North Platte. Council members gave unanimous 8-0 initial approval to the ordinances April 1 after holding public hearings and adopting a city study of the four parcels. Advancement Tuesday would set up final annexation votes May 6.

All four lots, including the Pals site at 4520 S. Buffalo Bill Ave., are held by microbrewery owner and operator Otter Investments LLC.

Two are just north and south of Pals, with the fourth in the northeast quadrant of Buffalo Bill’s intersection with State Farm Road. Also Tuesday, the council will: • Take its third and final vote on an ordinance rezoning the lot including Alicia’s Pupusas at 603 E. Fifth St.

and 503 N. Cottonwood St. from R-3 residential to B-2 highway commercial.

The measure is connected to the growth of the Salvadoran food business in the building fronting Cottonwood. • Hold first-round debate on an ordinance to vacate the alley in the block where Charles Burwick of North Platte plans to build the Canteen Commons apartment complex, across North Chestnut Street from the Virginia Smith Federal Building. The city would retain a utility easement.

• Sit as a board of equalization to approve assessment schedules for paving, water extension and sanitary sewer connection districts on the west side of Twin Rivers Business Park. They’re related to the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp.’s recent installation of streets and utility lines there.

• Consider a six-item consent agenda that includes adoption of the Fire Department’s 2024 annual report. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Special projects reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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