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Council considers selling park land to Talent Plus

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BY DEENA WINTER/Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Jul 31, 2007 - 12:05:18 am CDT

A prominent Lincoln human resources consulting company located on a bluff overlooking Holmes Golf Course wants to build another building and eventually double its local work force of 135.

To do so, Talent Plus wants to buy a 1.3-acre triangle of city-owned parkland bordering Holmes Golf Course and convert it into a parking lot.

It wouldn’t exactly be paving paradise, since the parkland near 67th Street and Pioneers Boulevard is now primarily occupied by dandelions. But neighbors in the area signed petitions and lobbied against the proposal, saying the existing Talent Plus building – a contemporary white building with unusual angles and lots of windows – is an eyesore that has ruined their view and made life less idyllic.

The company wants to build another two-story building of up to 60,000 square feet to the southwest of its main three-story building.

The Lincoln City Council held a public hearing Monday on the proposed sale, a zoning change and use permit. The council will vote at its next Monday meeting.

Talent Plus bought private land and 2.3 acres from the city for its corporate headquarters in 2001. It considered buying the remaining 1.3-acre triangle at the time, but instead secured the first right to buy the remaining land if the city received an offer from someone else. At the time, the city was considering building a fire station there.

And while neighbors lobbied against any additional encroachment on the park and their view, they seemed resigned to defeat and also asked that Talent Plus be required to plant large trees to soften the starkness of the white building.

Indeed, Talent Plus director Sandy Maxwell said the company has room to expand without the city land but would be squeezed into a taller building to make room for parking.

Parks Director Lynn Johnson said while the sale of parkland is taken very seriously, the area is already blessed with plenty of parkland, including more than 500 acres to the north.

Federal law requires that if the land is sold, the city use the proceeds of the sale – which Johnson estimated at more than $300,000 – to buy replacement parkland of equal value. The $635,000 Talent Plus paid for its first city parcel was used to buy 47 acres of park land, Johnson said.

Maxwell said the expansion would put more property on the tax rolls, help the company create about 100 more jobs and provide money from “unusable park land” to buy genuine park land. She said the average Talent Plus employee earns about $50,000 annually.

“This is indeed good news for Lincoln,” said attorney Mark Hunzeker, representing Talent Plus.

Neighbor Neal Stenberg said while he understands the need for economic development, he believes it’s wrong to sell public property for a private development, especially since the area could well be Lincoln’s center in 50 to 100 years.

But he also said, “I understand that the promise of economic development has a powerful allure; that it may not be possible to stop this project.”

In that case, he suggested leasing the land instead.

Neighbor Dave Fitzgibbon, who lives west of Talent Plus in the Interlochen neighborhood, said the sale of even “little corners” of parkland shouldn’t be taken lightly, and said he feared banks and fast food restaurants and strip malls would be the next tenants on parkland.

Sensing he was facing an uphill battle, he suggested the city impose landscaping requirements, such as 10 to 15-foot trees. He and another neighbor, Alan Domina, weren’t convinced Talent Plus would act in the interest of neighbors. Domina accused Talent Plus of failing to live up to a promise to make its first building blend in with the neighborhood, calling the building an eyesore.

“The building that they built would maybe blend in to Miami Beach, but it doesn’t blend in here,” he said. Council members suggested Talent Plus talk to neighbors about landscaping before the council takes action on the proposal next week.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.

 


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ugly wrote on July 31, 2007 12:38 am:
" I was shocked to see such an odd, ugly building towering over the residential area. I am so glad I do not own a home there. I would have been livid about being next to it. Please spare these poor people from further eyesores in thier neighborhood! "

 short-sighted wrote on July 31, 2007 12:44 am:
" This is corporate power trumping the public interest. It's a sad day when the Parks Dept, short on cash, must divest its public land-holdings in order to afford cutting grass in our public parks, while neighbors are left to live with monolithic symbols of Lincoln's corporate egotists. "

 Mark wrote on July 31, 2007 2:06 am:
" Imagine the city caving in to Talent+. The city (Mayor Seng and the same staff Mayor Beutler has) gave the company $180,000 to find a temporary Fire Chief. In the personnel market, a company might pay 1/3 of a year's salary to find a highly qualified, difficult-to-find individual for a special position. While I believe we need a new Fire Chief from outside LFD, it can be assured that deal with Talent+ was a sweetheart deal for recently retired Assistant Police Chief John Becker, who handled the Talent+ side of the deal. I doubt we'll pay the new Chief a salary of $540,000 or more to justify the finders fee we blew with Talent+. "

 hmm... wrote on July 31, 2007 7:46 am:
" The Building blends in when there's snow on the ground..I happen to like the building i think it looks really neat! Hope they building 10 more just like it. "

 Holmes Golfer wrote on July 31, 2007 7:56 am:
" If a poll was taken of golfers who play Holmes golf course it would show 99%+ think the building is ugly and totally out of place. The kindest thing I've ever heard about the place was "awfull!". "

 oak: activist wrote on July 31, 2007 8:01 am:
" I do hope the city and Talent Plus, meet and listen to the people's ideas. And not just ram into the situation. The people around the area are the ones who make up the neighborhood, and fill the jobs. I hope these organizations will listen to it's supporters. "

 Loria wrote on July 31, 2007 8:01 am:
" I feel so sorry for the near by home residents. When I travel near that business I always say that is the most distasteful building in Lincoln. It does not add to the beauty of the area or park but rather distracts and glares white like a parasite. Please do not add to this past mistake. "

 John B wrote on July 31, 2007 8:17 am:
" The orginal land should not have been sold in the first place. All parks have corners and edges which are used. Don't start chipping away. "

 Doesn't Care wrote on July 31, 2007 9:13 am:
" Talent Plus does not care what the neighbors think and never have. They may hold meetings and "listen" to the residents in that area, but they will push their plan through until they get what they want. "

 Cal Naughton Jr. wrote on July 31, 2007 9:32 am:
" Stop complaining. I hear complaints about noise, litter and now an eyesore. Big deal, there are worse things in life. "

 Mike in DC wrote on July 31, 2007 9:36 am:
" This sets a bad precident. Next thing they'll do is sell us all out and Pioneers and Wilderness park will be gone only so a few employees can have a view with their Starbucks on their break. The city needs to be encouraging growth in the revamped Antelope Valley project area, as promised. C'mon people, it's easy to bike downtown, its better for business networking, and it saves the park land for everyone to enjoy. "

 Joselyn wrote on July 31, 2007 9:51 am:
" Why is the Talent Plus director calling it "unusable park land"? She may not use it, but I'm sure there are plenty of residents that do (and I don't just mean the two-legged ones who live there). Isn't open space and grassland and habitat worth preserving for its own intrinsic value? I think so. But the new jobs would be nice. I hope they find the middle ground. "

 Former Lincolnite wrote on July 31, 2007 9:51 am:
" Why do the residents of Lincoln complain about EVERYTHING? Do you understand that this is good for the city. The building is a modern structure that probably does not fit in Lincoln, only because the people of Lincoln are far from modern. Why can't you all just appreciate the fact that a business has decided to remain in Lincoln for once and help the city? "

 Idea wrote on July 31, 2007 9:52 am:
" here'a an idea..how about Talent Plus building downtown.Why and how does this fit the "comprehensive plan" for Lincoln's growth? If the taxpayers are going to dump a billion dollars on yet another downtown redevelopment,rejunvenation,revitialziation plan why allow Talent Plus to build anywhere but downtown??? "

 AD - not in my backyard wrote on July 31, 2007 9:54 am:
" No one wants any development "in their backyard" but are quick to complain that Lincoln is not business/development friendly. Until you own all the land around you, realize that your view/neighbors can change and don't complain. Are you gonna complain when your neighbors paint thier home an unpleasant color that does not blend into the neighborhood - when you don't like their landscaping or their vehicles? "

 Bill wrote on July 31, 2007 10:02 am:
" What a bunch of crybabies. Who buys a house believing the view is going to stay the same forever; not very realistic. I feel the current border of the park land along Pioneer is an eyesore. The Interlochen group considers themself an island. They refuse to install sidewalks along Pioneer. They just want to keep progress away as well. As far as the architecture of the current Talent Plus building goes; this city is filled with ugly, boring buildings showing no insight or imagination. Go to any large city in this country and take a look at some of the beautiful buildings. There's nothing wrong with the current building, just the neighbors viewing it. "

 PW wrote on July 31, 2007 10:34 am:
" I'm so sick of all the meetings, whether its Talent Plus, schools, 2015 Vision, city council, or whomever, its ALWAYS a waste of time. Show me one thing that any of these people don't go right ahead and do what they want. So why go to any meetings, why vote, everything is started then they put it to a vote and whine "they just have to have that money or bond". Look how the schools lied to the people about "just gotta have that bond for a new school." That Talent Plus building is out of place and looks like a building that should be in an amusement park!! This is not a friendly town, its a dictator town ruled by the "clicks" and "friends." The rest just hand over your money and shut up!! "

 Dano wrote on July 31, 2007 10:36 am:
" Whine, whine, whine. Sell that land. It hasn;t been used in the 30+ years i have lived in Lincoln, other than to collect errant golf balls and spread weeeds. Talent Plus may not be the most beautiful building in Lincoln, But is not nearly the ugliest either. The sad thing is, if they painted a giant red N on the side of it, you would probably say it is the best thing you ever saw. There is nothing wrong with this sale. To the golfers that don't like to look at, who cares. I don't like to look at the airport when I golf at the higlands, but you don't hear me whining about it. I didn't like growing up with the LCC facility north of Pioneer's park either, but you know what, I dealt with it. Is it really going to bother you that much. You are the people that slow this city to a crawl when it comes to job diversification. You are the people that make it harder for me to want to stay here and I have lived here my entire life. Pretty soon there will be four types of jobs here restuarant/food service, dept store clerk, old people nurse, and low end cubicle rodents. You will clear out all the manufacturing, entertainment, and professional jobs because they will leave. Brain drain is really happening here, because there is no reason to stay. "

 Doug wrote on July 31, 2007 10:40 am:
" The problem with this issue is that plans for a second building should have been made clear at the time of the origional deal. The piece of land being discussed now is unreachable from the street or park without crossing the golf course. This land might as well be sold and the profits invested into worthwhile park land. The larger picture of selling park land to private business will raise it's head again in the future and people should make it clear either they support that process or do not want park landed sold off, even if it is reinvested in new park land "

 CS wrote on July 31, 2007 10:51 am:
" The land they have and the building is theirs. They shouldn't have to beg for permission from the surrounding land owners. No wonder so many houses in Lincoln all look the same. Talent + makes enough money in their niche that im sure they don't care what their neighbors think and they shouldn't have to. You bought your lot, they bought theirs. I don't recall anywhere on my deed in college view that says I have to say pretty please to my neighbors if I decide to add to my house, and I know my neighbor didn't ask me about expanding their driveway at 6:30 am for a week-she left town and came back when it was done. Where does this idea that everyone needs to ask permission to build or expand from some blowhards that live next to a golf course? Who do you think you are, anyway? Its not a park if only a select few can go in the first place, and so what if your view isn't idyllic. They don't owe you anything. If you don't want them to build, buy the land yourself. "

 no that honest wrote on July 31, 2007 10:52 am:
" T+ claims that they want neighbors input and they want this to be a good experience for all those involved, but based on how the first building project went, I am led to believe that T+ only cares about getting what they want. I don't think T+ is being 100% honest with the residents of the 70th and Pioneers neighborhood. It makes you wonder if T+ leaders have been dishonest about other things? "

 Cookie wrote on July 31, 2007 11:01 am:
" LJS: please post PICTURES of the building and parkland. The building is atrocious. If Talent Plus had had demonstrated ANY accommodation since the last series of articles (repainting existing building neutral, developing below civic horizon expansion - like Mutual of Omaha campus and working with the neighbors on options) this proposal should receive consideration. As it stands this proposal does not merit approval. C'mon Hunzeker - you can do better. Jump-start those clients creativity. After all a positive outcome reflects on their corporate image, products and services! Sheesh! Also LJS could you please provide any examples of businesses in Lincoln that have received design awards for buildings that blend in with, enhance their surroundings and worked collaboratively with neighbors? Thank you! "

 No whining wrote on July 31, 2007 11:03 am:
" 135 more jobs in Lincoln. An average of 50K a year for employees. And people still complain. I just don't get it. "

 poor planning wrote on July 31, 2007 11:11 am:
" Talent Plus should have thought of its needs for additional ground when it decided to build its office in the park. There are many other places Talent Plus could have chosen for its space which would have allowed for extra parking and extra office space. It made a very poor choice when it decided to build an office in a park and it should be stuck with the consequences of its poor choice. If it now needs more room, it should have to look for a new location. I lived next to a park a few years ago. When my family and I needed more space, we had to move. We did not have the option of going to the city and asking the city to sell us park land so we could expand our home. Talent Plus shouldn't be given any special treatment simply because they failed to make a good business decision. "

 Sean1 wrote on July 31, 2007 11:12 am:
" I want to know who on the City Council is getting "special considerations" by Talent Plus for their copperation. We're still out the 180K for their nonexistent search for a new fire chief. Now we have to deal with additional parkland being sold (probably at a bargain price) in order to expand an architectural obscenity. Maybe we should be doing some financial forensics on some bank accounts? "

 Tired of Whining wrote on July 31, 2007 11:43 am:
" The mentallity in this town anymore is just utterly amazing. More and more people are moving from rural, western nebraska and then complaining when the city the move to tries to develop as a city. If you want a home that has an unobstructed view then move to the country where you can enjoy your rolling landscapes. The problem here isn't the building, but the neighborhood. My wife works at a bank around the 70th and Pioneers location and you'd be surprised how many people in that area can't even be bothered to fill out their own deposit slip or heaven forbid if they actually have to bring in a driver's liscence to get a lump of money from a bank whose employees apparently should recognize them due to their overinflated sense of self-worth. The fact of the matter is simple. Lincoln has so many credited colleges per captia, yet we can't seem to retain anyone in this town after they graduate. The reasoning is simple, people don't get college degrees to work at a retail store for the rest of their lives. If Lincoln wants to grow and keep from becoming a suburb of Omaha or a ghost town it needs to develop. If a town is to develop it needs companies to move in. They can't move in if every time they suggest buying land to erect a building the neighborhoods that claim that Lincoln needs to grow gets all bent out of shape and starts a petition to keep them out of their neighborhood. So either quit whining and accept that you live in a city or move out to the country, but stop keeping my city from growing just because you think you are owed to have a say what someone else's property looks like. "

 Wondering wrote on July 31, 2007 11:48 am:
" "Federal law requires that if the land is sold, the city use the proceeds of the sale – which Johnson estimated at more than $300,000 – to buy replacement parkland of equal value. The $635,000 Talent Plus paid for its first city parcel was used to buy 47 acres of park land, Johnson said." So can the parks director tell us where the new park land is that they were to purchase when they sold off Woods Park to the Health Department????? Seems they ate a big chunk of the park and I do not recall reading of any new park land purchased. "

 AB wrote on July 31, 2007 11:59 am:
" I happen to like the building, but I moved out of the state after graduating from UNL a year ago as an engineer so what do I know? People would have probably complained less if TP would have hauled in 10 double-wide trailers for their headquarters because that's what they're used to. "

 Tired of T+ wrote on July 31, 2007 1:27 pm:
" The issue here goes far beyond their nasty building; the issue is how the city has folded to business interests over the interests of it's residents. I am sure the people at 70th & Pioneers did not see a dense commercial district coming to their area, but I have not heard them complain about that. It's the freaking white monolith that is within arms reach of their house (seriously, go look). So for all of you that are saying stop your whining, until you have a business come to your neighborhood and build less than 4 feet from your house, stop saying that they do not have a right to complain. The city could care less about these poor people! Like the idea that they should never have been granted the right to build there in the first place, and told to go downtown. There is a difference between encouraging business growth and caving to special interests (i.e. retired city officials working for T+, getting the fire chief scam without a formal bidding process, as well as many others I'm sure). It's just sad to see Lincoln this desperate to keep Gallup's carbon-copy simply to compete with Omaha. Shame on you Lincoln... "

 People who complain about this wrote on July 31, 2007 1:31 pm:
" are the same people who keep this city at a stand still. Dano is 100% correct with everything he said. If you big cry babies want to whine about an eyesore go to the east side of town and look at all the power lines. Do you really want to turn away a lot of good jobs because there is an empty lot with weeds in it that you don't want to destroy? PLEASE. Grow Lincoln grow! "

 Soylent Green wrote on July 31, 2007 1:33 pm:
" The building could be covered in gold and have 10 wide bike lanes leading to it from all directions with a gold painted stripe down the middle of it and the people of Lincoln would complain that it is too shiny... What a bunch of cry baby whiners! for weeks now all I have been reading about in these comments is how Lincoln is against development and growth and how the previous administration drove away business and more needs to come in. Well here it is folks! A business that actually wants to stay in Lincoln and EXPAND! Sure it would be nice to get them into the Antelope Valley Project area but since they are already established in the Holmes Lake area they should be allowed to stay there. Sometimes some grass and dirt (and trees for those of you still ranting about the North 40 Golf Course) have to be sacrificed for the greater good of the City. "

 jb wrote on July 31, 2007 1:36 pm:
" Those who call this building an eye-sore obviously haven't been to their Web site to understand the symbolism of the building. It is impressive, at minimum. Change is the only constant; embrace it. "

 We need cash! wrote on July 31, 2007 2:23 pm:
" Sell, Sell, Sell. Tax rolls increase, GOOD job created (as everyone complains that Lincoln cannot attract) and the city will gain park area elseware. SELL IT! "

 not everything you read on the internet . . wrote on July 31, 2007 2:32 pm:
" is TRUE. just because Talent + claims there is some meaning behind their sorry excuse for a building doesn't mean that what they say is true. If you know enough about their leadership you can tell just by reading their bios who is and WHO ISN'T telling the truth. The whole issue here is the neighborhood does not want an expansion (they didn't even want the building in the first place) but the city is not listening to the residents, afterall money talks, right? "

 Ugh wrote on July 31, 2007 4:16 pm:
" Is it any surprise that Mark Hunzeker is the lawyer representing Talent Plus, the very same attorney who wanted to put a drag strip north of Lincoln on ag land? If it were up to him, we would have no park land, everything would be paved over in the name of "economic development." "

 Why? wrote on July 31, 2007 10:38 pm:
" Why is it an eyesore? Because it is a modern building built in an anything but modern city? If you could even call Lincoln a city anymore...might as well overun Lincoln with doublewide trailors and portapotties to go along with all ho-dunk residents that live here and complain about anything and everything "modern". "

 Beth wrote on August 1, 2007 8:09 am:
" No wonder the City is in trouble and no wonder no business wants to come here. Grow up! We need the economic developement and just MAYBE if you worked with TP a beautiful landscaping could be done. "

 Cheri wrote on August 1, 2007 9:53 am:
" I happen to like the looks of the building, but it needed to be built some where else, not in a neighborhood. Shame on the city for selling park land. I vote against givng them more park land to build. They should have built out by Interstate 80. "

 humm wrote on August 1, 2007 11:12 am:
" The City sold the land to them originally knowing that the remaining land would be land locked. So who is fooling who? Just like developers people can pick and choose where they want to put a building and they can design it anyway they want. The problem is they promise their building would BLEND in to the surounding area. Does it? Talent Plus is no different than Information Tech on 14th and warrick. They built there now complain no room to expand. Why don't they think in the future and relize they may expand and thus buy enough land in a good location to cover the expansion. Aren't both these firms suppose to be thinker of the future? "

 what are you thinking. wrote on August 1, 2007 12:34 pm:
" Anyone opposing a chance for more jobs in the market is crazy!!! the fact that they have chosen our city to conduct business and want to expand is great. As for the building. It is a building with alot of character. something that most poeple in that nieghborhood dont seem to have. IT is a beautiful building. yeah i have driven by several time and said that the building looks like it is out of place but it is one of the cooler buildings in lincoln. as for it disrupting the view. there isn't much to view unless your looking up. The site is situated on a bluff like the paper says. and they company has put up LARGE tress to block most of the building. I dont see why the company wouldn't do with the landscaping. it would help to keep the closeminded people out!!! "

 Not a race fan wrote on August 1, 2007 12:48 pm:
" At least it's quiet and doesn't operate till midnight. Actually it's not a bad building. "

 SB wrote on August 1, 2007 1:14 pm:
" All those complaining about the architecture of the building – look at the office you are working in…probably surrounded by wallpapered walls, fluorescent lights and half cubicles in a glass curtain wall 2 story box or typical spec office building with massive asphalt parking lot. Then when you drive home tonight, look at the streets…large concrete retaining walls with white vinyl fences. Then your neighborhood and your house… you’re greeted with 2-3 garage doors, a wide concrete driveway, a window on the side, a splotch of faux stone or brick and vinyl siding. Then drive downtown…a 5 story concrete parking garage on every block. I don’t think many Lincolnites have too much room to criticize a building with some actual design and thought. Also, seeing how I-80 is the entry and exit corridor of Lincoln, please stop automatically saying “put everything out by I-80”. Sell the land…not every business is “out to get ya” some just want to do business. "

 The building does not blend.... wrote on August 1, 2007 1:15 pm:
" The building may be neat, but not where it sits now. It does not do the area of town justice. It is out of place and does not belong there. It's not that hard to consider; most homeowners are part of associations which use the same idea that dwellings and such need to look asthetically pleasing. Why can't the city of lincoln do the same? If you want to see things easy on the eyes, take a look at the Hy-Vee, Subway, Insurance Co and such and 70th and Pioneers..they all look great to the neighborhood. Too bad people can't think too much or their head hurts these days. "

 photolitherland wrote on August 1, 2007 9:25 pm:
" I cant even believe that you can sell public land, i mean that pretty much means that none of any cities parkland is safe from malls and other urban sprawl but in the end its money who talks and wildlife and parks that suffer. Something should be done so no public land anywhere can be sold! "

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