Rare beetles, cricket field and a new park in the hands of Lincoln council

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission this week gave unanimous support to the proposal from the city's parks and recreation department for a nature area northwest of North 27th Street and Arbor Road.

Final approval of the joint request for annexation and a zoning change for the property, which is owned partly by the city and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, now is in the hands of City Council.

The property along Little Salt Creek is made up of three parcels: an 85-acre horseshoe-shaped parcel, a 58-acre parcel in the middle of the horseshoe and an 11-acre parcel along Arbor Road, sandwiched between the two larger parcels.

J.J. Yost, assistant director of parks and recreation, said there are multiple parcels because they were acquired using different funding sources.

"The upside down U-shaped perimeter parcel involved the use of federal funds through U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Service), and so there are some pretty significant restrictions on how we develop that property," Yost said. "But we do intend, in time, to make it available for public access through a less developed trail system."

Yost added there are "some pretty high category" saline wetlands (about 21 acres) and Salt Creek tiger beetle habitat in the horseshoe that the city is very cognizant of.

The beetle — an endangered species and one of the world's rarest insects — is known to occur only in Lancaster and Saunders counties, according to Nebraska Game and Parks.

The parcel in the middle of the horseshoe will include park improvements. The city has already started to construct a multiuse field, opening tentatively next spring.

"(The field) has been sized large enough to serve as either a full-size, collegiate soccer field or a cricket field," Yost said. "We've had quite a bit of demand for a space for a cricket filed, which is very large, and this will be the first full-size cricket field space that we have in our system."

Yost said the annexation would allow the field to be irrigated using an existing water main on Arbor Road.

The city owns the two larger parcels, while the natural resources district owns the third. The resources district plans to construct an office building for its headquarters on the smallest parcel, but doesn't have a timeline.

Yost said the park and NRD parcel are being planned together as a contiguous public campus. The timeline for improvements is dependent on securing additional funding.

One short-term obstacle to accessing the park is the need to replace the Arbor Road county bridge over Little Salt Creek.

John Berry, chief deputy county engineer, said a new bridge is being designed and construction likely will occur during 2027.

"If annexed, we will have to be working with the city on any other requirements that will be needed for this bridge," Berry said. "There will definitely be some closures and detour routes."

The property was purchased from private owners in February 2024 for $3 million by the Solidago Conservancy, which works with landowners and other partners to conserve natural areas. The deal took years of planning by various groups — and a $1 million donation by the Dittman family and Cornhusker Bank.

The park was named Cornhusker Bank Park in recognition of that gift.

From 2016 to 2025, the city of Lincoln on average annexed 689 acres per year.

Planning Commissioner Gloria Eddins said her only complaint with the proposal is that it will extend the city's boundary unevenly.

"We're shoving out north," Eddins said. "We're not keeping the line very even, and I hate when we get these little nuggets of not annexed (land)."