The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission recommended approval Wednesday of annexation and zoning changes needed for a developer to build “wise-size†affordable homes — small homes on small lots in the Air Park area near Lincoln Northwest High School.
Developers want to create a planned unit development on nearly 32 acres of land just south of Northwest Holdrege Street between Northwest 48th and 40th streets, which now is zoned for agriculture.
The western half would be zoned for business with plans to eventually build mini-warehouses or up to 200,000 square feet of mini-warehouse space or up to 125 multi-family units, or some combination of both.
The eastern portion would be zoned residential, allowing Kelly Langer, the owner of Nebraska Cottage Co., to build 81 small homes, a concept of affordable homes he first experimented with in Village Gardens, a unique development surrounding Campbell’s Nursery at 56th Street and Pine Lake Road.
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He built 24 homes there, clusters of cottages with common green space, and years later, experimented with pocket neighborhoods in older parts of the city — homes clustered around a shared open space.
Now he wants to build small homes, or “wise-size homes†that would be 1,000 square feet or smaller, not including the garage, with one bedroom and one bathroom, built on smaller lots and selling for less than $200,000 each.
“I’m passionate about small houses,†he told the Planning Commission Wednesday. “This is not loosely based, this is 100% based on my experience (in Village Gardens). Learned a lot there. Learned what people wanted, learned really what our market is — they are first-time homebuyers and last-time homebuyers.â€
He’s been in discussions with NeighborWorks, a nonprofit housing development organization, which could help him identify the market and what services people would want in the area, he said.
Langer has previously said the homes would be good for young people in the workforce that can’t afford to buy homes, or older people ready to downsize.
Planned Unit Developments are typically mixed-use developments and they allow flexibility for developers, in this case allowing smaller lot sizes than the city typically requires, as well as for mini-warehouse space that could serve the neighborhood.
City planners recommended approval of reducing the lot sizes and setbacks, but are still working with the developers on the width of the streets to make sure they are large enough for emergency vehicles.
“It’s a complicated project but very unique in its form,†said Tim Gergen, with Clark Enersen, who is working with Langer. “We’re very proud to have it added to the city of Lincoln.â€
The planning department wants to annex the Northwest 40th Street right of way and three additional properties — slightly under 5 acres — because they would be completely surrounded by the city.
All the property owners opposed being annexed.
Barbara Erickson said she’s lived on about 10 acres for more than 44 years and since West Holdrege Street was annexed by the city the time it takes crews to clear the roads of snow has increased, making it difficult for her to get to work as a nurse.
Traffic in the area is already dangerous, she said, and housing and a storage area will just make it worse.
Kelly Libengood said having being annexed would create severe financial hardships on her family, because having to connect to city wastewater would cost upward of $30,000.
“We can’t afford that,†she said.
She said she’s also concerned about being able to keep their livestock, which they use as a source for their own food.
Gary Faust said he’s lived in the same spot for 50 years, and had to rebuild after a fire in 2019, which “pretty much took care†of his retirement savings.
“Just about everything I have is in the property and I’m just not sure I could bear the cost of sewer and water and whatnot,†he said.
The city requires property owners to hook up to sanitary sewer if the property is within 300 feet of the city’s system once they’re annexed. They don’t have to hook up to city water.
Gergen said the phasing of the project means it would likely be four to five years before sanitary sewer was close enough that the property owners would need to hook up.
And city planners said the entire area is likely to be annexed soon, so holding off on annexing those properties wouldn’t benefit them.
A big commercial development called Falcon Corner had been planned farther to the south — west of West Vine Street to Interstate 80. That was put on hold after Fleet Farm backed out, but developers are still trying to make something work.
The commissioners were sympathetic to the property owners, but supported the small home idea.
“I’m excited to see small homes built anywhere, it’s a missing middle (housing),†said Planning Commission member Gloria Eddins. But she added that she was concerned about the financial impact on property owners forced to annex.
Planning Commission member Dick Campbell said he thinks the farm animals will be allowed to stay for the remainder of their lives.
Planning Commissioner Rich Rodenburg said this project is a good example of how to address the housing shortage.
Commissioners unanimously recommended approval of both the annexation and zone changes.
In other business, the Planning Commission recommended approval of an amendment to the Dominion at Stevens Creek community unit plan near 105th and O streets that would reduce the density of a development opposed by neighbors.
In January 2022, the City Council approved a special permit to replace 77 proposed single-family townhomes with a 462-unit apartment complex over the objections of neighbors worried about traffic congestion, lower property values and what they said would be an eyesore.
They threatened to take the issue to court to stop construction. That didn’t happen, nor did the construction of the apartment complex.
On Wednesday, the Planning Commission approved an amendment to the community unit plan to remove the plans for the apartment complex and replace it with 130 townhomes and 18 single-family attached homes.
Mike Eckert, with Civil Design Group, said an adjacent development made sewer service more accessible and it was in the developers’ best financial interests to go with townhomes and single-family attached homes.