County hearing opens on zoning change to allow observatories and other passive recreation

The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing July 21 on text amendment 260007, a countywide change that would expand the zoning definition of "recreational facilities" to include passive activities such as observatories, nature walks and bird watching and allow the planning commission to authorize area or yard requirement reductions as part of special‑permit approvals.

Anne Post, an attorney representing the applicant Branched Oak Observatory, told the board that the observatory "was founded in 2015 with a goal of sharing the wonders of the night sky with eastern Nebraska" and that the amendment simply creates a path to approval for observatory uses that are not currently recognized in the county zoning code. She said the special‑permit process — not the text amendment itself — would examine site‑specific details including number of events, parking and lighting.

Matthew Anderson, co‑founder and executive director of the observatory, described the group's outreach, monthly star parties and educational programs for schoolchildren. "We are unique in the fact that there's nobody else in Nebraska that is doing what we are doing and ... we are the gem of the night sky here in Lincoln and Lancaster County," Anderson said, asking the board to allow a regulatory path so the observatory can pursue a future special permit.

Planning staff and George Wesselhoff of Planning and Development Services clarified that the amendment applies countywide and that any concerns tied to a particular site would be addressed during a later, site‑specific special‑permit review. The clerk recorded one written letter in opposition from "Donald Patricia and William White," and commissioners noted that the opposition letter appeared focused on potential outcomes of a future special permit rather than the text amendment language itself.

The hearing record will remain available to the planning department; commissioners closed the hearing on the amendment and did not take a final vote on approval of the text change at the July 21 meeting. The next step for any observatory project would be a special‑permit application subject to public notice and review by the planning commission and, if appealed, by the county board.