Omaha Paper Stock Receives Go-Ahead for Expansion

Omaha Paper Stock Co. Inc. received a conditional use permit to allow the company to expand and remain in business in Grand Island, Neb. Over the past several months the company has been going back and forth with the city over some of the problems of the operation.

According to a local newspaper report, the company has been under pressure by local politicians, who claim debris and -- keeping a permit to stay open and approval to expand -- but it also got an ultimatum from the Grand Island city council president.

The question initially came before the council in May after repeated concerns of debris at the plant site and the company's failure to comply with provisions of its permit -- namely the failure to construct a fence to keep paper piles out of sight.

According to a spokesman for the city of Grand Island, as part of the resolution, Omaha Paper Stock is required to install a fence that will obscure any material within the property; provide landscaping to the outside of the facility six months after a highway that will be adjacent to the plant is completed; and provide a method to eliminate the debris generated at the recycling facility.

The Problem Resolution Team (PRT), a coalition of city, county and state representatives who meet monthly to address quality of life issues, was instructed to carry out the inspections. Anything not in compliance would be documented and reported back to the council and could start the revocation process again.

The council voted 10-0 for Omaha Paper to retain its existing permit contingent on quarterly inspections for the next year.

The council also approved Omaha Paper's request to have the conditional use permit extended to cover an additional 35,000 square feet of property.