Council OKs minor subdivision for two new houses

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council unanimously approved dividing one lot in Clary Village into two similar-sized lots.

The two new lots, located at West Ninth and Q, will each have a new manufactured home from Wardcraft, consisting of three-bedrooms, two baths and an attached garage. Individuals that qualify for these homes will need to be 120% of the county median income, or a family of four with an income up to $85,000.

McCook City Manager Nate Schneider said Monday night he was excited about the application from the McCook Economic Development Corp. requesting this new minor subdivision, given the housing crunch in the city.

He cited other housing developments the MEDC has been involved with in the past, such as Clary Village, constructed in 2014 using tax increment financing, Quillan Courts in 2015, again using TIF and North Point Properties, a private investment company that has completed its first phase of development. Clary Village is a low-income senior duplex project located north of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, consisting of eight duplexes: 12 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom units.

Quillan Courts is a low-income housing project, also located north of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, of four single-family homes with five bedrooms and a basement, eight four-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units with basements. Both developments have extensive waiting lists. North Point is located on R Street.

Schneider said the application for the minor subdivision meets all the required zoning requirements.

Last year, the cities of McCook, Cambridge and Benkelmen were awarded a $405,000 grant for housing, with the first home recently completed in Benkelman, said Andy Long, director of the MEDC. Proceeds from the sale of that home will be put into a revolving fund that will be used to build other houses in McCook and Cambridge, he said. Bids for the first home in the minor subdivision will be requested this year and after its sold, the second home will be constructed, Long said.

Councilman Gene Weedin asked if local realtors will be used and Long said the MEDC will sell it themselves.