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Gretna council rejects Wolfpack Athletics blight designation after residents oppose study
Summary
Ray Planning Solutions presented a blight study for the Wolfpack Athletics site near Highway 370 and South 198th; multiple residents opposed the designation and the Gretna City Council voted 4-0 to deny the blight designation on May 19, 2026.
The Gretna City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to deny a request to declare the Wolfpack Athletics area substandard and blighted, after a hearing that drew several residents who opposed the study.
Jeff Ray of Ray Planning Solutions presented the Gretna Wolfpack Area Blight Study and asked the council to declare the mapped area in need of redevelopment under Nebraska Community Development Law. Ray described the study’s findings and legal rationale during the public hearing.
Multiple residents spoke against the designation. Lance Molina, Justin Gripp, Alex Batenhorst, Ryan Nickell and Jessann Molina each urged the council not to label the property blighted, saying the site lies in "the fastest developing area of the community," according to council minutes. After public comment, Councilmember Kara Alexander moved to deny the blight designation; Councilmember Lauren Liebentritt seconded. The motion carried 4-0 (Alexander, Liebentritt, Proctor, Westengaard voted yea).
The council’s denial leaves the property’s status unchanged and removes the immediate possibility of using blight-based redevelopment tools on the site. Jeff Ray’s presentation materials and the full blight study are available at the Gretna City Office, 204 N. McKenna Ave., and on the city website, according to the agenda materials referenced at the meeting.
No further action on the Wolfpack Area was recorded at the meeting.
