Lincoln planning commission approves multiple Liberty at Lincoln housing projects after resident complaints about notice and grading

The City of Lincoln Planning Commission voted unanimously Nov. 20 to approve multiple development items in the Liberty at Lincoln master-planned area after residents raised concerns about noticing, grading and local impacts.

Residents told commissioners they received little advance notice of construction and said new homes would be built up on brought-in fill, creating what one called "a wall of homes" that will block views and affect drainage and property values. "We've been told conflicting things over the years by city employees," said David Lockwood, a resident who addressed the commission, adding the development has "a financial impact happening to myself and my neighbors by the Wildwood Pulte Homes, development." Janna Lloyd, who said her backyard will back up to the project, said she has lived in the area 25 years and called the planned houses "two story little rat traps" and said, "a wall of homes is going in behind me."

Commissioners and staff responded that the tentative map and specific plans for the sites date to earlier approvals and that some approvals are difficult to reverse. Commissioner (name read during roll call) noted that the map for a project was approved in 2019; staff confirmed the tentative map and specific plan were processed and approved at that time. Several commissioners urged residents to use the city's development activity map and to meet with planning staff for details on specific parcels and timelines.

On technical concerns, city engineering staff told the commission the developer proposes to "bring in fill" because the development parcel currently sits several feet below the neighboring properties. Staff said grading and improvement plans are now under review and reassured residents that city grading regulations "prohibit cross drainage across properties" and that improvement plans must prevent water from being diverted onto adjacent yards. "We do not allow any cross drainage across properties," a city engineer said. Staff also said final building-pad elevations and detailed drainage measures will be set during improvement-plan review.

Commissioners also debated broader design questions. Commissioner Jerry Johnson said many of the housing designs under consideration do not meet the "spirit" of the city's award-winning general plan because they lack income integration and housing-type variety. Other commissioners said some of the current subdivisions were approved long ago and that reversing approvals could prompt legal challenges.

Despite the public concerns and discussion, the commission moved the three previously pulled consent items and then voted on individual items. A motion to approve items 8A and 8B passed after a commissioner said they would abstain on 8B because they had not attended the October meeting. The commission then approved item 8D (Liberty at Lincoln Village 5, Woodside Homes) by roll call and approved item 8E following public comment. All recorded votes on the discussed items were recorded as passing by the commission.

The commission closed by encouraging residents to meet with planning staff and attend future hearings. Staff said materials from recent community workshops will be posted on the city's website; an earlier media-posting error delayed one hearing and that matter will be scheduled in December.

What happens next: engineering and improvement-plan reviews will continue for the approved projects; staff said those reviews set final pad elevations, drainage controls and other conditions of approval, and residents were advised to contact planning staff for property-specific details.