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Lincoln City Council considers zoning changes for development of former Knolls golf course

Redevelopment of the remaining portion of the former Knolls golf course into upscale villas and commercial space hinges on zoning changes considered Monday by the Lincoln City Council.

“We proposed something we thought would fit well in the neighborhood,” said Brad Marshall, with Olsson, who is working on redevelopment plans for the property. “We tried to minimize the impact to the existing properties around the perimeter.”







Knolls development plans

That involved a significant amount of negotiating, and the proposed zoning changes came to the City Council after developers reached a compromise with neighbors who had a number of concerns with the plans for about 20 acres on the eastern portion of the former golf course south of Old Cheney Road roughly between 22nd and 24th streets.

“Even though we are looking at a change of zone … it shouldn’t be undersold the changes that have been made,” said attorney Andrew Willis, who is representing the developers.

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Still, Craig Smith, who lives in the area, said while neighbors and the developers reached agreement on a number of issues, residents who live near two of the lots want a “first right of refusal” agreement as part of the covenants to buy the lots abutting their property if they go up for sale. He asked for a delay so that could be negotiated.

Marshall said the “right of refusal” is a private issue, not one the City Council has purview over, but he noted that developers invited existing homeowners in the area to be part of the homeowners association, so they have a role in making sure developers hold up the promises they’ve made.

John Tavlin, another area resident, supported the redevelopment plan and urged the City Council to approve the zoning changes.

Many of the concerns raised by neighbors were negotiated as part of a special permit and Community Unit Plan the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission approved earlier this month. The planning commission had deadlocked on its first vote in December.

The Planning Commission’s vote on the special permit and use permit is final unless someone appeals the action, which has not happened.

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The planning commission also approved the zoning changes now before the council to allow about three dozen villa-style homes to be built along with 75,000 square feet of commercial space.

Marshall described the villas as up-scale homes – $750,000 and above – for people wanting to downsize, and noted the existing zoning would have allowed for more dense housing in the area.

The neighbors’ biggest concern was the addition of commercial space along Old Cheney, where developers are proposing uses that could include a medical office building, a bank branch and a sit-down restaurant.

Other concerns included the potential for increased traffic and the small lot sizes of the proposed homes.

Changes negotiated with neighbors included reducing the number of proposed homes from 36 to 35, increasing setback distances from existing homes for both the residential and commercial portions of the development, requiring a minimum amount of brick facade on the new structures, limiting electronic signage and some height restrictions to the commercial buildings.

On the west half of the property, a retirement community with more than 130 independent-living, assisted-living and memory-care units, opened in 2018.

The council will vote on the zoning changes on the eastern portion of the old golf course at its Feb. 6 meetings.

In other business Monday, the council approved a zoning change that will allow developers to turn a portion of the 7 acres between the MoPac Bike Trail and Deadmans Run in east Lincoln into row-style town homes.

The row houses are part of the redevelopment of land along the MoPac Trail between 66th and 70th streets that for years was Finke Gardens & Nursery.

When the owners retired, they sold the site to the owner of Clocktower Animal Clinic, who plans to build a new 8,000-foot animal clinic on the western portion of the site and rehab existing buildings to attract complementary animal-service tenants in addition to building the row-style housing.

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Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or [email protected].

On Twitter @LJSreist

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