Nursery seeks boarding house
By JODIE GARCIA, Herald Staff Writer
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A boarding house for workers at an Ottawa wholesale nursery is in the works.
Loma Vista Nursery, 1107 E. 23rd St., requested that Ottawa planners approve a conditional-use permit to provide a lodging house for seasonal workers at 501 E. 23rd St.
A maximum of 60 people would be allowed in the house, city staff said.
Wynndee Lee, director of planning and codes, said Loma Vista has similar lodging operations in other locations.
“There’s a little bit more of a control factor,” she said, noting that the boarding house will be right next to the business.
Some planners expressed concerns with the number of people who could be living there.
“Crowded conditions could mean trouble,” planner Richard Warren said.
In addition to city regulations, this type of operation is heavily regulated by the Department of Labor, Tom Yahl, assistant city planner, said.
Along with the conditional-use permit, planners must consider a rezone request to rezone the property from a C-3 general commercial district to a MU/RC mixed use/residential commercial district.
A public hearing and vote on the items are scheduled for the planning commission’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. July 9 at City Hall, 101 S. Hickory St.
According to the company’s Web site, www.lomavistanursery.com, Loma Vista produces container and field-grown plants for retailers, wholesale distributors and landscapers.
The nursery was founded in 1991. Ottawa has a 310-acre container production nursery, the Web site said, and other operations are in such cities as Baldwin City, Willow Springs and Olathe.
In other matters, planners discussed:
• A street vacation in the 600 block of Birch Street.
• A rezoning of 109 W. Ninth St., 834 S. Main St., and 840 S. Main St., from a C-1 office and service business zoning district to a C-3 general commercial zoning district. Staff recommended denial of the rezoning based on the large number of uses that can be allowed in a C-3 district.
• A conditional use permit for the construction of a four-unit structure at 832 S. Oak St. in an R-2 medium density residential zoning district.
• Changes to zoning regulations regarding the location of fences in agricultural districts.
Public hearings on all the items are set for the next regular meeting at 7 p.m. July 9 at City Hall, 101 S. Hickory St.
Herald staff writer Jodie Garcia can be e-mailed at jgarcia@ottawaherald.com.
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