City Council Holds Off NW Lincoln Blight Designation Vote Until September

LINCOLN–(KFOR July 27)–A blight designation for the Air Park area of northwest Lincoln was put on hold by the City Council on Monday night, delaying the vote until Sept. 20.

Council member Tammy Ward requested the delay, saying this issue needs to be a win-win deal.  “It’s going to take some more compromise, it’s going to take some more give and take than this council has seen,” Ward told fellow council members.  “It’s needs to be thoughtful.  It needs to be purposeful and needs to be deliberate. ”

Urban Development officials asked the city council to declare the area from NW 48th to NW 57th, from West Fletcher Avenue to West Holdrege Street as extremely blighted, saying it would open up tax credits for owner occupied housing.

About a half-mile area impacted would be close to Nine-Mile Prairie, which environmentalists say the Nine-Mile prairie ecosystem has a rich and diverse habitat.