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Planning commission approves Bryan Medical Center emergency-department expansion and plans to move historic Fairview House
Summary
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission approved an amendment to special permit 1219P allowing an expansion of the emergency department at Bryan Medical Center East Campus and provisions for relocating the William Jennings Bryan House at Fairview, with staff conditions and a revised site plan reflected in a staff memo dated 04/28/2026.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission on April 29 approved an amendment to special permit 1219P to allow an expansion of the emergency department at Bryan Medical Center’s East Campus and to accommodate the potential relocation of the William Jennings Bryan House at Fairview.
Planning staff presented a revised site plan and a staff memo dated April 28, 2026 that shortened a proposed drive off Sumner Street and revised condition 1.2 of the permit. “The special permit is an amendment to the existing special permit for Bryan Medical, the East Campus,” planner Ben Callahan of Planning and Development Services said, explaining that the plan shows a small addition with a canopy and a drive adjusted to avoid the existing Fairview house footprint.
Historic Preservation Planner Jill Dahlberg told commissioners the William Jennings Bryan House at Fairview is listed as a National Historic Landmark but is not a local landmark, so local regulatory authority is limited. Dahlberg described coordination with the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office and said staff and the applicant have discussed best practices if the house is relocated, including recordation, landscaping and setbacks. “About 35 feet would be great if we can manage that,” she said when describing the desired setback if the building is moved.
A representative of the applicant, Bob Ravenscroft, identified himself as a vice president with the health system and said the goal is to preserve and put the house to active use rather than demolish it. “At the end of the day, if we can preserve it,” Ravenscroft said, “we want to bring it back into useful use,” and he said the building could be used by the Bryan College of Health Sciences as the campus expands.
Commissioners asked staff and the applicant questions about designation, permitting and public access, and commissioners voiced support for relocating the house to a more visible site on the campus and for making entrance improvements to the emergency department. After discussion the commission moved to approve special permit 1219P as revised by the staff memo; the roll call vote was recorded as unanimous, 7 to 0.
Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (April 15, 2026): approved (vote responses were affirmative). - Consent agenda (items including comprehensive plan conformance 26003 and special permit 26017 for Airgas USA): approved 7 to 0. - Request for deferral — change of zone 22023A (Turbine Flats PUD amendment to add ~4.47 acres; change from H3 to R6): four-week deferral to May 27, 2026 approved 7 to 0. - Special permit 1219P (Bryan Medical Center East Campus — emergency department addition; potential relocation of Fairview house): approved 7 to 0.
What happens next The approved special-permit amendment includes the modified site plan and the staff conditions reflected in the April 28 memo; the commission’s action on this item is final, and any party wishing to appeal a final action may file a notice of appeal with the clerk within 14 days. If the applicant pursues moving the Fairview house, the planning staff said the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service processes related to moving a nationally designated property will need to be satisfied to retain that designation.
