The second time may be the charm for a developer who wants to build a U-Stop and possible McDonald’s across the street from Lincoln High School at 21st and K streets.

The development got a 4-2 green light from the Lincoln City Council Monday night, and it now goes to Mayor Chris Beutler for consideration.

The $3.5 million development has been somewhat controversial because the convenience store would sell alcohol, and some worry it would be dangerous if too many students cross Capitol Parkway to get to the fast-food store. The City Council approved a similar development in 2005 (it banned alcohol sales), but former Mayor Coleen Seng vetoed it.

This time around, the developer, Whitehead Oil, is likely to get a better reception from a mayor who has promised to make Lincoln more business-friendly, although the Journal Star was unable to reach Beutler for comment Monday night.

Councilman Jonathan Cook was one of two council members who voted against the project. Cook voted against it in 2005, too, because he doesn’t think it fits in with the Antelope Valley Project — a flood control project that is bringing new roads, bridges and revitalization along Antelope Creek.

He said it’s important to have places to get gas, and he doesn’t have a problem with Whitehead Oil, but “it’s more about the concept.” He was joined in voting no by Councilman Dan Marvin.

Councilman Ken Svoboda said Antelope Valley is a big area in the city core, and this is one small portion of it. He said he doesn’t want to send developers the “wrong message” that they may have to spend a lot of money and go through lots of hoops only to have an Antelope Valley development shot down.

Councilwoman Robin Eschliman said she was voting yes reluctantly, because she’s troubled by liquor sales so close to a high school, but there’s no city legal distance requirement that would ban the store. The store would be about 650 feet from LHS.

She said she thinks the liquor ordinance might need to be re-examined for that reason, however.

In other business, the council:

n Approved a special permit allowing Roger Schwisow the authority to mine and extract soil northwest of the intersection of Northwest 56th and West O streets.

n Approved a zoning change allowing Kaplan University to double the size of its two-story building at 18th and K streets.

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