The Chadron City Council has approved rezoning the Chadron High School property from R1-single family residential to LC-limited commercial, but with assurances from all parties that there are no plans to seek any commercial operations there.

The school district sought the change because the R-1 zone does not allow electronic reader boards such as the high school’s new marquee sign. Making the case for the change were school superintendent Dr Caroline Winchester and 2 members of the high school student council.

Councilman Dr John Gamby questioned the wisdom of changing the zoning instead if the city’s sign regulations, but city zoning and building official Janet Johnson said it was the simpler approach in this instance…especially since Chadron State College just across 10th Street is also zoned LC.

Johnson, City Manager Wayne Anderson, and the other council members agreed with Gamby, though, that the sign regulations should be reviewed since the reader boards are becoming more popular and might be pursued by Chadron churches also located in R-1 zones.