The Creekside Village project was hastily pushed through the approval process at City Hall so that it could qualify for state low-income housing tax credits.

The project, which had backing from Mayor Chris Beutler's administration, received the official stamp of approval despite pleas from neighbors for more time to learn about the proposal.

It's disturbing that the full impact of the project at 10th Street and Military Road was unknown or not disclosed at the time. Only now are the details coming to light.

Most drastically affected is the Lincoln Indian Center, which learned to its surprise recently that the city plans to excavate 6,885 cubic yards of dirt from city-owned land just north of the center.

The work will leave a major depression next to the Indian Center property. It also will create blowing dust that Indian Center officials are worried will deter from ceremonies at the center's sacred fireplace.

A major sticking point when the Creekside project was approved late in 2007 was that the project was located in the flood plain, and close to the levee at Salt Creek.

The proposal to build 10 townhouses and 60 apartments drew a rare recommendation from Glenn Johnson, general manager of the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District, that the project be turned down.

Johnson noted that the NRD and the city had spent time and money purchasing land along Salt Creek and its tributaries so that it could be preserved as open flood plain. "To turn around and sell it for private development … seems a little inconsistent," he said at the time.

The purpose of the excavation is to uphold the city policy that any project in the flood plain that reduces flood storage should be required to create additional storage elsewhere.

In one sense city officials should be commended for upholding the so-called "no net rise" principle.

But the back-door, secretive manner in which the city handled its role in the project is reprehensible.

Belatedly, city officials are admitting they are at fault. "They (the Indian Center) are fellow citizens. They are neighbors. We absolutely made a mistake in not notifying them. We messed up," said Rick Hoppe, chief of staff for Mayor Beutler.

City officials said they hope to minimize the negative impact on the center by building a barrier fence and planting vegetation to block dust from being blown onto the center property. They reportedly also are exploring other options to recompense the center.

The after-the-fact efforts to make things right are warranted. The city owes the center more than an apology. And next time City Hall ought to do things right in the first place.