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Resident warns of exposed rebar at abandoned site near schools; city says temporary capping done and seeks funding solution
Summary
A resident told council an abandoned construction site with exposed rebar and a 20-foot drop near four schools presents an "immediate" danger; city staff said they have temporarily capped exposed rebar, identified a possible security bond and expect clarity on a permanent fix within about a month.
A local resident urged the Lincoln City Council on May 26 to act immediately to protect pedestrians and students from exposed rebar and a steep drop at an abandoned construction site, while city staff said short-term mitigation has been done and they are exploring funding for a permanent fix.
Christopher Lane told the council he has been raising the issue since an April 28 meeting and described a 20-foot ditch with exposed rebar and no protective barriers near an area used by children and families. "The city must act immediately because it has known about this project since 2013," Lane told the council, saying parents and students use nearby sidewalks and that temporary measures are urgently needed while cleanup and hillside restoration proceed.
City staff responded that the city engineer located a grading/security bond related to the development, which may provide limited funds for a permanent remediation. Staff said options for removing or treating the rebar include filling the bank, bending and removing the protruding steel, or using retained funds to reimburse cleanup costs; staff also said public-works crews had temporarily capped exposed rebar to reduce immediate risk.
"There's no question that it should have been done," the city manager said in response to Lane, adding that staff would coordinate with the city attorney and finance director to determine whether retained funds could be used and that the city’s public-works director had arranged a short-term capping of the rebar.
What’s next: Staff told the council they expect to have clearer specifics on a long-term solution within roughly a month and will bring funding and timing proposals to council; no formal direction or vote was recorded that night. The council did ask staff to accelerate options while respecting private-property rights and legal limits.
Sources and accountability: City staff indicated the site is private property and that liability primarily rests with the owner, but said as public servants they would pursue options to reduce danger while working within code enforcement and legal constraints.
