MISSION STATEMENT
LNA advocates that new city growth not be accomplished at the expense of older neighborhoods
Our County, Our City, Our Neighborhoods
A Plan for Action
Agenda of the Lincoln Neighborhood Alliance
(action items are not listed in any priority order)
To download the Plan for Action in PDF format, Click Here
Neighborhood Services.
Whereas neighborhood services are vital to maintaining our high quality of life,
Resolved:
- Lincoln's neighborhoods should have access to the full range of community facilities, health services, open space,
and playgrounds. Neighborhood parks, pools, libraries, senior centers, public transit, and trails must be a high
budget priority.
- Existing neighborhood schools should be maintained and improved to a high standard. New schools should be
sited and built to facilitate safe and easy walking and biking for students, safe traffic flow, and joint use of
facilities.
Sidewalks.
Whereas Lincoln is forty years behind in its sidewalk maintenance, and whereas the community has twice
voted that, the city and not private owners should pay for the repair and maintenance of sidewalks,
Resolved:
- Lincoln should continue efforts initiated over the last two years to establish, fund, and implement a plan to
rehabilitate sidewalks on a more aggressive schedule. This plan should bring Lincoln's sidewalks up to code in ten
years or less.
Infrastructure Finance.
Whereas one of the biggest challenges currently facing our city and county is how we will
finance the maintenance of existing infrastructure and the development of the new infrastructure needed to support
growth and development. And whereas this financing should be reasonably predictable and fair to the taxpayers in
existing neighborhoods and in new developments,
Resolved:
- The maintenance of existing infrastructure should be the highest priority.
- New development should pay a significant share of the initial costs related to extending public infrastructure and
services (i.e., sewer, water, streets, public power, schools, fire, and police) to that development.
- All public entities involved in building and maintaining public infrastructure within Lancaster County should
cooperate to achieve the maximum efficiency (RUTS and "Build-through").
Stormwater.
Whereas development in watershed areas upstream from neighborhoods frequently causes increased runoff
during heavy rains and increased insurance costs for businesses and neighborhoods,
Resolved:
- The City and County should work aggressively with neighborhoods, businesses, developers, natural
resources districts, and state and federal agencies to mitigate the adverse impact of development on floodplains and
flooding problems.
Neighborhood Preservation.
Whereas zoning designations and building designs that conflict with current or historical
use patterns create increased density that is detrimental to character of existing neighborhoods, undermines home
ownership, and is beyond the neighborhood infrastructure capacity (parking, water, sewer, etc),
Resolved:
- The city should support downzoning in neighborhoods where strong support exists.
- Neighborhood design standards should be adopted to ensure that new construction has a high level of compatibility
with the character of new and existing neighborhoods throughout the city.
Crime and Public Safety.
Whereas crime is a growing issue of concern in our community,
Resolved:
- The city should support and expand community-policing practices, including neighborhood police
substations and neighborhood watch areas as a deterrent to neighborhood business and residential crime.
Quality of Life.
Whereas Lincoln has codes to promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.
Resolved:
- Lincoln should strengthen and enforce the penalties regarding dilapidated buildings and exteriors, junk
cars, trash, disorderly households, and criminal activity.
- Lincoln should also maintain and enforce the “no more than
three unrelated persons per household” ordinance and maintain or strengthen spacing requirements for alcohol sales.
Neighborhood Business Districts.
Whereas our neighbors and neighborhoods are an integral part of and dependent
upon our local economy, and whereas businesses must be sensitive to the character and needs of the surrounding
neighborhood,
Resolved:
- The city should actively support Lincoln neighborhood businesses in neighborhood business districts and
regulations should be revised to better integrate new and old businesses with adjacent uses. Areas to examine should
include screening, lighting, signage, set backs, noise, traffic, and permitted uses.
Transportation.
Whereas street design in neighborhoods has a significant impact on safety and quality of life, and
whereas widening arterial streets in existing neighborhoods with narrow rights-of-way result in lower property values,
loss of neighborhood character, and blight,
Resolved:
- Widening beyond two lanes plus a center turn lane (2+1) in established neighborhoods should not be done. 2+1
arterial streets in established neighborhoods provide smooth and safe traffic flow with less impact
- The City and County should aggressively plan for, invest in, and develop public policies that support alternative
modes of transportation such as public transit, trails and sidewalks as a means to improve our overall quality of
life and reduce the burdens of traffic and on-going street development.
Public Officials.
Resolved:
- Neighborhood associations should recruit individuals knowledgeable about and concerned with neighborhood
issues and advocate for their appointment to public policy bodies such as the Lincoln – Lancaster County Planning
Commission, the LES Board, Parks and Recreation Board, and the Historic Preservation Commission.
- Neighborhood associations should work together to organize public forums; testimony in public hearings; letters,
surveys and questionnaires; and other means to insure that public officials are aware of neighborhood concerns
and that citizens are aware of the positions of elected officials and candidates on neighborhood concerns.
- The Lancaster County Board should have some members elected by district instead of the current structure, which
has candidates nominated by district, but elected by the county at-large. The Lancaster County Board is one of
only two counties (Sarpy County the other) in Nebraska which does not include some district elected members.
Overhead Power Lines.
Whereas overhead power lines are a visual blight, a safety hazard, and are more susceptible to
power outages due to wind, snow, or ice storms,
Resolved:
- LES and city officials should develop and implement a fiscally-sound, phased program to bury Lincoln’s
neighborhood power lines.
Trees.
Whereas Lincoln has been nationally recognized as a Tree City USA community,
Resolved:
- Lincoln should replace a tree for every tree that is lost or removed and enforce tree-planting
standards in new developments.
- Lincoln should also be diligent about replacing the trees lost over the last twenty
years and in planting trees in the area between sidewalks and curbs on arterial and residential streets.
Lincoln Neighborhood Associations Who Have Endorsed the
Our County, Our City, Our Neighborhoods - A Plan for Action
as of February 2009
1. Antelope Park Neighborhood Association
2. Arnold Heights Neighborhood Association
3. Clinton Neighborhood Association
4. Country Club Neighborhood Association
5. Downtown Neighborhood Association
6. East Campus Community Organization
7. Eastridge Neighborhood Association
8. Everett Neighborhood Association
9. 40th and A Neighborhood Association
10. Greater South Neighborhood Association
11. Hartley Neighborhood Association
12. Hawley Area Association
13. Indian Village Neighborhood Association
14. Irvingdale Neighborhood Association
15. Landon's Neighborhood Association
16. Near South Neighborhood Association
17. North Bottoms Neighborhood Association
18. South 48th Street Preservation Association
19. University Place Community Organization
20. Witherbee Neighborhood Association
21. Woods Park Neighborhood Association