Saline Planning Commission Summary
Week of August 6, 2026
Planning commission recommends Diamond Drive rezoning
Planners avoid spot zoning on Diamond Drive request
Motel 6 eyed for future apartment conversion
Conditional use permit required for future apartments
Commissioner questions city's need for temporary lodging
Motel 6 operations to continue despite zoning change
Floodplain regulations to govern future Diamond Drive site work
New zoning request unrelated to adjacent Bobcat property
Planning commission recommends Diamond Drive rezoning
SALINA, Kan. — The Salina City Planning Commission unanimously recommended approving a zoning map amendment for a tract of land at 635 W. Diamond Drive during its Aug. 4, 2026, meeting. The request seeks to rezone the property from C-7 (Highway Commercial) to C-5 (Service Commercial), aligning with recent zoning changes along the corridor. The recommendation will advance to the Salina City Commission for consideration following the protest deadline.
Planners avoid spot zoning on Diamond Drive request
SALINA, Kan. — During discussions about converting a West Diamond Drive motel into apartments, commissioners questioned why the applicant did not request a residential zoning designation like R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential), which allows multifamily housing by right. City staff explained that the surrounding area is strictly commercial and industrial. Rezoning the property directly to R-3 would constitute isolated "spot zoning," making C-5 a more appropriate choice that matches contiguous properties while still providing a legal path for future multifamily housing.
Motel 6 eyed for future apartment conversion
SALINA, Kan. — The property owner of the Motel 6 at 635 W. Diamond Drive, and applicant plan to eventually convert the facility into an apartment project. The planning commission's recent recommendation to rezone the tract to C-5 (Service Commercial) serves as the necessary first step toward this goal, as the property's previous C-7 (Highway Commercial) zoning classification did not permit multifamily residential dwellings.
Conditional use permit required for future apartments
SALINA, Kan. — While the Salina City Planning Commission recommended rezoning the Motel 6 property on West Diamond Drive, developers still face additional regulatory hurdles before converting the site into apartments. Multifamily housing is not an inherently permitted use in the C-5 district, but rather a conditional one. The property owner will need to submit a separate conditional use permit application, which will require another public hearing and further planning commission approval before residential renovations can begin.
Commissioner questions city's need for temporary lodging
SALINA, Kan. — The proposed conversion of a Salina Motel 6 into apartments prompted a brief discussion about the city's overall lodging needs. While Salina's housing shortage is well-documented, one commissioner asked city staff whether there was any data regarding a potential deficit in hotels or temporary lodging if the existing motel is removed from the market. City staff said they did not have immediate information on hand regarding the current demand for local motel accommodations.
Motel 6 operations to continue despite zoning change
SALINA, Kan. — The requested rezoning of 635 W. Diamond Drive will not immediately impact the day-to-day operations of the existing Motel 6. City staff confirmed that hotels and motels are permitted uses in both the former C-7 and the newly recommended C-5 commercial districts. The business can continue its normal operations while the property owner prepares its eventual conditional use permit application for the planned residential conversion.
Floodplain regulations to govern future Diamond Drive site work
SALINA, Kan. — Any future exterior redevelopment at the 635 W. Diamond Drive property will need to comply with local floodplain regulations, city staff noted Tuesday. The southern portion of the property lies within an AE flood zone, though the existing motel building and parking areas sit outside the mapped boundary. Any future building additions or site work within the flood zone would require the lowest floor to be elevated at least one foot above the base flood elevation.
New zoning request unrelated to adjacent Bobcat property
SALINA, Kan. — The rezoning of the Motel 6 property on West Diamond Drive is not connected to a similar rezoning request for the neighboring Bobcat of Salina Inc. property, according to the applicant's attorney. The Salina City Planning Commission recommended rezoning the adjacent Bobcat of Salina property to C-5 on July 21, 2026. While both properties are adopting the same commercial designation, developers confirmed there are currently no plans to combine the parcels for the proposed apartment project.
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