Hastings Zoning Follow-up Meeting Scheduled for Thursday

The City of Hastings Development Services Department will present proposed regulations for zoning updates related to adult establishments as well as short-term rentals on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.

The meeting will be 5-6:30 p.m., Aug. 13 at the Hastings Public Library, 314 N. Denver Ave. It is a follow up to an initial meeting on July 23 to discuss adult establishments and short-term rentals.

These two issues are being discussed together because statutes and court cases have addressed these zoning categories and Hastings City Code has limited language addressing them. 

Adult establishments are addressed in City Code as a Conditional Use Permit, but there are no districts where the CUP is allowed. 

The Development Services Department has proposed definitions for assembly and retail adult establishments but needs public input into how to regulate them.

Those proposed definitions are as follows:

The assembly adult establishment includes spaces for people to gather that includes matters of a sexual nature such as adult bookstores, adult movie theatres, and adult cabarets. These are not in state statutes however are required to be licensed with the state. Additionally, there are two U.S. Supreme Court cases that made determinations as to how a community can regulate these.

Retail adult establishment includes any business which sells products or services to clientele over 18 years of age such as tattoo parlors, cannabis dispensaries, bars, and liquor stores. These are also regulated by Nebraska licensure regulations, but not as strictly as the assembly types.

Any code addressing adult establishments or short-term rentals must adhere to state and federal decisions and cannot be zoned out of the community. 

Zoning changes are intended to address potential legal issues and provide consistency and clarity within the city’s zoning code.

The state defines short-term rentals as those under 30 days. The City of Hastings’ proposed code does not specify the 30-day limit, but rather the size of the structure (up to 6 units).

This meeting is the latest step in a year-long process for the City of Hastings rewrite of Chapter 54 of the Municipal Code, which addresses zoning. Public Engagement is an important part of the rewrite process.