The Lincoln City Council on Monday approved a redistricting map that shifts lines of the four geographic council districts to account for growth in southeast and northeast Lincoln.
The once-in-a-decade effort to adjust for population changes moved a chunk of southeast Lincoln's District 2 to southwest Lincoln’s District 3 to even out the population between the fastest-growing district and the other three quadrants.
Another change shifted a portion of the western edge of northeast Lincoln’s District 1 to northwest's District 4, prompted largely by the growth in northeast Lincoln created by the sewer projects in the Stevens Creek watershed basin.
The City-County Planning Department developed proposed maps for both the City Council and Lancaster County Board, doing its best not to divide neighborhoods or precincts.
Many of the changes were minor, moving lines slightly to accommodate changes in precinct boundaries.
But shifting the western edge of District 2 from 48th Street to 56th Street between South Street and Old Cheney Road will move about 6,000 people into District 3.
The area includes College View and the Madonna campus, and it keeps all of College View in one district instead of dividing it into two, according to planning officials.
In the northwest part of town, an area that used to be in District 1 — west of 27th Street from Havelock Avenue to about Alvo Road — will now be part of District 4.
Northwest Lincoln neighborhoods that will move from District 1 to District 4 include Stone Bridge Creek, North Hills, Charleston Heights near Kooser Elementary School, Hartland's Garden Valley and Bicentennial Estates.
The change in northwest Lincoln now makes 27th Street the dividing line.
The proposed map also moves a swath of land in west Lincoln — essentially along West O Street west of U.S. 77 — from District 4 to District 3, prompted primarily by changes in voting precincts.
Each council district includes slightly more than 72,500 residents.
The City Council is divided into four geographic districts represented by James Michael Bowers (northeast), Richard Meginnis (southeast), Jane Raybould (southwest) and Tammy Ward (northwest). The next city election is in 2023.
Sändra Washington, Bennie Shobe and Tom Beckius are at-large council members elected earlier this year.
The Lancaster County Board has approved its redistricting map, where one of the biggest changes was adding more rural area to District 1.