3.2 LAND USE

3.2.1 Existing Conditions

Agricultural Uses. Current land uses in the beltway study area are primarily agricultural. The dominant crops are milo, corn, soybeans, wheat and hay crops. Historically, local farmers raised dairy and beef cattle, hogs, sheep and chickens; however, stock production has decreased significantly in the county. Like the rest of Lancaster County, the farm population in the beltway study area has decreased considerably as the urban population of the City of Lincoln has increased. Following this trend, land uses in the study area are beginning to transition from agricultural to suburban uses.

Rural Non-Farm Uses. Although most of the tillable land is in active production, review of the constraints map (see Figure 2.1) shows that there has been substantial development of non-farm uses in the beltway study area. Some of this development has occurred in clusters; however, the overall pattern is scattered throughout the area. The majority of the development has been for residential land use.

In particular, farm home and farmstead split-offs are common, as well as residential acreages (large lot single family homes). On the south, there are a large number of contiguous large lot subdivisions. On the east the subdivisions tend to be fewer and more scattered. Some of the subdivisions have special common use features such as an airstrip, lake, golf course, or equestrian facilities. The east tends to have some of the older subdivisions as well as non-subdivision areas of 2 ha (5 ac) lots which predate current zoning policies. These residential areas appear to have been deliberately located to provide convenient access to O Street and downtown Lincoln, or I-80 and Omaha. In comparison, the south tends to have many more newer subdivisions appealing more generally to those interested in country living, but with quick access to Lincoln on paved roads. In general, rural residences constructed in the beltway study area are custom built homes for higher income households.

There are three unincorporated towns within the study area-Cheney on the south, and Prairie Home and Walton on the east. These towns vary in size and generally reflect a rural community neighborhood of mixed use that serves the local residents. Growth of these former railroad junction towns has been relatively slow; however, the settlements closest to Lincoln, such as Cheney and Walton, are experiencing some development pressure.

Commercial uses are very limited and are generally located along State Highways or are internal to the unincorporated towns. Commercial uses are typically convenience-type services, but are beginning to include large warehouse retail sales businesses such as Rod's Outdoor Power and Apache Camper Center. Other commercial businesses in the study area include several nursery, greenhouse and tree farm operations; two kennels; a pet cemetery; and grain elevators at Cheney and Walton.

Industrial uses in the study area are few and are generally located along State Highways or arterial roads due to the need for accessibility for work force and materials and the availability of central utilities. Industrial sites include Williams Pipeline, Conoco Pipeline, Lincoln Oil Products, Bedient Organ, and Norris Public Power District at US 77 and Saltillo Road; Parker Fluid Connectors on O Street (US 34); Novartis, Pavers, Linweld, National Crane and ADM along US 6. There is one active quarry and sand pit in the project area; Schwarck Quarries, located along South 54^th Street south of Saltillo Road, produces crushed rock, agricultural lime and retaining wall stone. Three private airstrips--Weaver Field, Stewart Field and Skyranch Acres (Pester Field)-are also located in the study area.

Several urban recreational elements occur in the beltway study area including two city parks. Wilderness Park, which extends 12 km (7.5 mi) from Lincoln to Saltillo Road along Salt Creek, is owned by the County and operated by the City. The park provides hiking, bicycle and equestrian trails. Jensen Park, located west of Cheney, is soon to be developed by the City of Lincoln with ballfield facilities. There are three private golf courses within the study area--Wilderness Ridge, Hidden Valley and Crooked Creek. Four other private courses abut the study area (Yankee Ridge, Himark, Firethorn and Hillcrest Country Clubs). All of the golf courses have surrounding housing developments. The Izaak Walton League has a facility south of Highway 2 on South 134^th Street, and the Boy Scouts of America have recently purchased a property near A Street and Stevens Creek.

Other features throughout the beltway study area are extensive electric distribution lines, radio and communication towers, rural and municipal water distribution systems, county maintenance buildings, several cemeteries, and the MoPac and Murdock hiker/biker trails. The Marion Catholic Center is located near 112^th and Alvo Roads.

Local Planning Process. The City of Lincoln has a tradition of planning which dates back to the 1950s and the first Comprehensive Plan. The current 1994 Lincoln-Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan embraces the concept of "managed contiguous growth" and the phasing of infrastructure expenditures based on this policy. The plan was adopted with the understanding that it should "provide for the overall health of the community, but only if such growth is not injurious to the overall health of the community's neighborhoods and commercial areas including Lincoln's downtown". The Plan suggests a number of "policy initiatives for the healthy growth and development of the community".

One of the most long held policies has been to develop "a compact and generally contiguous urban form" around its confines with the goal to "protect existing rural areas from urban sprawl through planned development". However, the plan also encourages a unified planning approach between urban and rural interests and encourages "services to meet a range of urban and rural lifestyles". An analysis of the City's growth over the last 30 years shows a gradual expansion outward from the original urban core, building on the availability of infrastructure. Much of this growth continues to occur to the south and east of Lincoln in the beltway study area. Although the City has an existing, clearly defined boundary denoting urban versus rural uses, it has begun to envelop large lot residential areas that were once remote from the City's boundaries.

Policy initiatives specific to the beltways study include "the development of a circumferential roadway network around the City of Lincoln" and providing for "a long-range plan to develop early identification of bypass corridors and right-of-way retention".

In order to establish a rational policy of City expansion, ensure the availability and adequacy of the resources in which to construct infrastructure, the City has identified a future urban service area that has taken into account limitations poised by natural features, current city limits and prior plan designations. As such, the 1994 Comprehensive Plan included a map of future land uses in the City and County. Since that time, the maps have been revised to show amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. For the purposes of this study, the revised land use plans for the City and County were used to develop the Build Out Scenario II (BOS II) which assumed a projected population of 374,630 within a 25 to 30 year period, representing a 57 percent increase over the 1999 County population. Figures 3.1 and 3.2 are the most recent versions of the City and County land use plans. The current plans forecast that about two-thirds of the south beltway study area and most portions of the east beltway study area will remain undeveloped within 25 years. Future land uses in the beltway study area are shown primarily as agricultural and low-density residential-with highway commercial and industrial along State Highways.

The two incorporated cities in the study area, Waverly and Bennet, have jurisdiction over unincorporated areas within 1.6 km (1 mi) of their existing city limit boundary. The Village of Bennet has designated the portion of the study area under its jurisdiction for agricultural use, consistent with the County designation. The Waverly Comprehensive Plan also designates the areas south of I-80 and 0.8 km (0.5 mi) west of 134^th Street for agricultural uses. The remaining land use designation in the Waverly plan recognizes (1) expanding residential uses from Amberly Road south to I-80, and (2) new industrial and commercial uses at the proposed interchange at I-80 and a realigned 134^th Street.

Zoning. Zoning in the study area is determined by four entities. The majority of the area is governed by Lancaster County, with some areas falling within the 4.8 km (3-mi) extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Lincoln, and the 1.6 km (1 mi) extraterritorial jurisdictions of the City of Waverly and Village of Bennet.

In general, the majority of beltway study area is zoned for Agricultural (AG) or Agricultural Residential (AGR) uses. The exceptions are commercial and industrial districts located along State Highways at US 77 and Saltillo Road, US 34 (O Street) and 134^th Street, and US 6. In these areas, Highway Commercial (H3), Industrial (I-1), Industrial Park (I-2), County Industrial (I) uses have been deemed appropriate.

City Comprehensive Plan (This is an Adobe Acrobat File)

County Comprehensive Plan (This is an Adobe Acrobat File

These approved zoning districts, and the policies that created them, have resulted in the proliferation of rural non-farm residential development in the beltway study area. Within the County juridictional area, there are two residential zoning classifications. The AG classification allows for a minimum buildable lot size of 8.1 ha (20 ac); creation of such lots requires only a survey and documented conveyance (deed). In comparison, the AGR classification allows for a minimum buildable lot size of 1.2 ha (3 ac); creation of these lots requires subdivision approval (final plat) by the or County (or City if within the 4.8 km (3 mi) limit). In general, approval of the subdivisions has taken into account factors such as the location along a paved road, availability of water, appropriate soils for septic systems, and close proximity to villages.

Past Limitations. In general, the rural non-farm areas rely on individual wells or rural county water, and septic systems. The City of Lincoln's service area, which is based on a gravity flow system, has not been extended farther south than Rokeby Road, or father east over the ridge line into the Stevens Creek watershed (approximately between 84^th and 98^th Streets). The lack of centralized utilities in the area has been the major contributing factor in maintaining the rural character of the area.

However, the future urban service area has been extended into the south beltway study area and to the edge of the east beltway study area due to the continuing growth of Lincoln. On the south, the City has recently approved inclusion of the S-1 and S-2 Subareas (Urban Planning Zones) into the Lincoln-Lancaster County Comprehensive Plan bringing the future City service area up Saltillo Road (within the beltway study area). On the east, the future City service area has been extended to 98^th Street (the edge of the east beltway study area ) between N-2 and Old Cheney Road. In addition, the City has recently initiated the Stevens Creek Basin Planning Initiative to assess future urban and rural development in the basin relative to the overall long-term growth objectives of Lincoln and Lancaster County. The goal of the initiative is to prepare a long range conceptual plan for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan update process. The current Stevens Creek study has expanded the area of the Urban Planning Zones (which generally covered the west bank) to include the entire basin, including the east bank.

Social Acceptability. As documented throughout the beltways study, there is a growing conflict between increasing numbers of citizens who choose to live in rural areas of the County and the prospect of a "circumferential roadway" regardless of the location. However, there appears to be substantially more objection to the three east beltway alternatives, than to the SM-4 alternative.