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Council continues Lincoln Lumber PUD hearing amid rail/rail‑to‑trail abandonment talks
Summary
Council kept the public hearing open to July 13 on a proposed R6 PUD (Copper Spur apartments) after developer and staff described negotiating a permanent abandonment of a rail designation and a possible donated trail corridor to enable infill housing.
Lincoln — The City Council on June 29 agreed to keep the public hearing open on a proposed R6 planned‑unit development from Lincoln Lumber Company after developers raised a linked rail abandonment and trail‑planning issue.
Kent Serest, representing Lincoln Lumber Company, told the council the project would add about 108 rental units in two buildings and highlighted transit access and planned parking. Serest said the developer and city staff are discussing asking the Surface Transportation Board and relevant parties to remove a rails‑to‑trails designation for the corridor so the city and developer can create a permanent trail segment and allow a track vacation that would otherwise complicate infill development.
Serest described a possible donation of a strip of property to create a 10‑ft trail and discussed funding and cost‑sharing for concrete, then asked the council to keep the PUD public hearing open so parties could resolve details. “We have an opportunity to do this first read of infill,” Serest said, explaining why he requested the continuance.
Council voted to keep the public hearing open until the July 13, 2026 meeting to allow staff and stakeholders to finalize the vacation/abandonment language; the action was recorded as unanimous.
Why it matters: The outcome could reshape how a multi‑block redevelopment handles an existing rail corridor, with implications for trail continuity, future rail access and the developer’s ability to move forward with residential construction.
Next steps: Staff will continue negotiations with the developer and involved agencies; the council will revisit the PUD and any related vacation/abandonment matters at the July 13 meeting.
