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Commission looks at another blighted area

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BY MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star

Monday, Sep 25, 2006 - 08:46:15 am CDT

City officials have plans to declare another large area of Lincoln blighted. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday on a plan to declare 1,241 acres in northwest Lincoln blighted and substandard.

The bulk of the proposed blighted area is land north of West O and south of Cornhusker Highway in between Capitol Beach and Sun Valley Boulevard.

It also includes a large swath of land running along the south side of Cornhusker from First Street to N.W. 12th Street and the area near the Highlands where the University of Nebraska Technology Park is located.

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Steve Frayser, president of the Technology Park, said the city had approached him and asked if the park would be OK with being included in the blighted area.

Frayser agreed, although he called it “a bit awkward” for the relatively new park to be in an area declared blighted.

The area also includes Pfizer, which recently completed $50 million worth of improvements to its campus.

But much of the area is either vacant land or occupied by buildings that are in poor condition.

A consultant hired to do a blight study found enough factors, including aged and dilapidated buildings, and improper platting and street layouts, to warrant a blight designation.

That designation, under state law, opens up the use of tax increment financing, which allows property taxes generated from development to be used for public improvements on the site.

Frayser said the potential tax incentives the blight designation brings with it are an additional tool for further developing and bringing more jobs to the park.

“We see it as a positive,” he said.

The city sees it that way too.

Though city officials could not be reached for comment, documents submitted to the Planning Department said the area was targeted by Mayor Coleen Seng because it is a “Gateway Entrance” to the city.

The documents also called the area vital to the future economic well-being of the city.

Similar justification was used to blight large areas along West O Street and around the 56th Street interchange on Interstate 80.

Reach Matt Olberding at 473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.


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JJ wrote on September 25, 2006 1:23 am:
" Why don't they just declare the whole city of Lincoln blighted and be done with it?????? The way things are going, why not? "

 connie wrote on September 25, 2006 6:11 am:
" OK, pretty vague, but so far I have no objections. Just this though, no matter which way you turn the map, cross your eyes,and squint, is this a “Gateway Entrance to the city". "

 JGH wrote on September 25, 2006 6:33 am:
" Economic development can include redevelopment of areas to increase value and add functional capacity. Hopefully as a "Gateway" there will be ideas presented so this is sustained as a corridor highlighting the cityscape we admire from a distance. Lincoln is changing and the council (and mayor) seem to realize citizens will always find a positive or negative perpective to what is done. "

 Lori wrote on September 25, 2006 6:35 am:
" Why don't they just declare the whole of Lincoln blighted and save time? "

 EVS wrote on September 25, 2006 7:16 am:
" The city of Lincoln Is doing this to itself , By having high taxes and such, it drives business owners and businesses away "

 Grrrr wrote on September 25, 2006 8:12 am:
" You have to be kidding me??? The Highlands are blighted??? This is total waste of my tax dollars. What about Belmont, Havlock, the area around 11th and South St.? I can think of a million other areas that the Highlands!!! "

 Concerned wrote on September 25, 2006 8:21 am:
" City of Lincoln politics as usual--looks like the Abel family wants the property near its ball park cleaned up--and the taxpayers are getting stuck with the bill--when the city finally wakes up and realizes it needs to represent ALL taxpayers--then we'll be able to make some real progress, "

 fathead Neuman wrote on September 25, 2006 8:32 am:
" JJ and Lori are right. This declaration of blight is just a clever way of getting certain financial incentives available to developers. Technology park is NOT blighted. I've taken the bike path past it on a route that leads to the airport (great ride, BTW). North of West O is a different story. Why can't the city open up the tax increment financing without declaring blight? This seems like using the back door just so you don't have to open up the front door. "

 Sean1 wrote on September 25, 2006 8:54 am:
" Follow the money...somebody is gonna make some major bucks on this one! "

 Public Hearing Location wrote on September 25, 2006 10:10 am:
" The Public Hearing is going to be held Wed. at 1pm on 9/27/06 in the City Council Chambers 555 S. 10th. Street. For more information call 441-7491 Lincoln Lancaster County Planning Department. "

 Grrrrrr2 wrote on September 25, 2006 12:16 pm:
" I agree, I think the WHOLE city of Lincoln is blighted, according to the leaderships observation. In my 50 years in another city/state I NEVER heard all this blight stuff, and the word PROPERTY TAX is the only word Lincoln seems to know. Instead of a city growing like most if not ALL OTHER cities, Lincoln just keeps calling the same ole areas blighted and digs 'em up and the citizens pay for it over and over. They gripe about the antiquated water and sewer pipes. There are a tremendous amount of cities east of Nebraska that are years and years older than Lincoln and you don't hear them whinning about their old pipes and gotta raise property taxes to replace all of them. They fix the leaks and you never hear "gotta raise property tax". And their taxes are half Lincoln's. This is the most depressing city and state I've ever lived in. If I want to build a new barn on my property, do you think the city or county is going to come in and clean up the area and give me a tax incentative to build it???? I certainly question the intelligence of the leaders of this town, not to mention the greed, selfishness and rudeness. I read the comments of articles in my former city/state and never read all this stuff about property tax, bightedness. Its all positive comments. "

 Conservation wrote on September 25, 2006 1:17 pm:
" They are talking about the last of the wetlands. This area used to get flooded every ten years, and the ground would soak up the water. Now that Nebraska has had a drought for the last ten years, the ground is solid and hence blighted. Make it all a park. "

 Omaha Sewer Rat wrote on September 25, 2006 5:19 pm:
" For the record, Omaha recently passed a sewer bond (78% approval) to fix antiquated sewer pipes. The only reason that didn't result in increased taxes is because it replaced an already existing bond and its only the beginning of a much larger problem. They have yet to figure out how to pay for $500 million or more worth of improvements, but it will likely include huge increases in monthly sewer fees to pay for the cost of replacing pipes that dump raw sewage into the Papio Creek and the Missouri River when it rains. So, count your lucky stars that you live in "blighted" Lincoln and not "blighted" Omaha. "

 chris wrote on September 25, 2006 5:21 pm:
" Is the tax break for the property owners only on the value-added due to development? How long will the property tax deferment on the development last? Why are existing, operational buildings such as the tech park and Pfizer included? Possibly to incite more development from these companies. "

 To Grr wrote on September 25, 2006 7:26 pm:
" Hey grrr...they are not referring to the Highlands. They are referring to land north of West O and south of Cornhusker Highway in between Capitol Beach and Sun Valley Boulevard. The Highlands neighborhood is north of Cornhusker. "

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