Community Action seeks rezoning and modest height waiver to relocate Gathering Place meal program

Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties presented an application on May 5 asking the council to permit a change that would allow the Gathering Place meal program to relocate to 919 South 12th Street and for a modest waiver to the planned unit development height limit.

Heather Lockman, CEO of Community Action Partnership, described the Gathering Place as an evening meal program that serves neighbors seven nights a week and said demand for meals has risen markedly in recent years. Lockman said monthly average meals served increased from about 2,900 in 2022 to about 4,600 in 2024 and that many guests live within a short walk of the current location.

Community Action proposed to move the operation into a larger building owned by NeighborWorks Lincoln at 919 South 12th Street. The property offers roughly double the square footage of the existing site and would allow an estimated $2.5 million renovation to preserve historic elements while adding an addition for deliveries, an emergency exit and an elevator to improve accessibility and operations. Architect Greg Newport said the height waiver (raising a 35‑foot R‑7 height limit to 40 feet) is requested to accommodate elevator clearance and a small staff roof deck.

Lockman said the group conducted neighborhood outreach, including meetings with South and Everett neighborhood associations, open houses at the F Street Recreation Center and targeted guest outreach; she said those engagements produced affirmative feedback and informed project plans. Council members commended Community Action for seeking to remain within walking distance of the program’s current neighborhood and praised the outreach.

Volunteer and neighborhood speaker Chris Bowden described long experience serving at the Gathering Place and said the proposed site’s proximity to the F Street Community Center creates opportunities for partnership. "We are so excited…for the possibility of having them be closer neighbors," Bowden said, describing collaboration between the organizations.

The request is an application to amend the South of Downtown planned unit development to allow Subarea 2 neighborhood support service use and to waive the maximum R‑7 height limit from 35 feet to 40 feet. The transcript records the presentation and public comment, and staff said Community Action will later appear before the Historic Preservation Commission because the building is historic. The transcript does not record a final council vote on the zoning application during the meeting.

Community Action estimated a renovation timeline of roughly 18–24 months and described the project as a $2.5 million investment in the Everett neighborhood; council members expressed support and appreciation for the organization’s outreach and flexibility in site selection.