City of Lincoln planning staff brief commission on 2023 General Plan APR; panel recommends forwarding to council

Senior Planner Efren Sanchez presented the City of Lincoln’s 2023 General Plan Annual Progress Report (APR) at the Feb. 21 Planning Commission meeting, describing the APR’s role in monitoring progress on 109 implementation measures across seven plan elements and outlining next steps to send the report to the City Council and the state by the April 1 deadline.

Sanchez told commissioners the 2008 general plan’s planning horizon extends to 2050 and reported that the city permitted 458 dwelling units in 2023 — 429 single-family homes, 24 duets and five accessory dwelling units. He said the state-assigned regional housing needs assessment (RHNA) for the 2021–2029 cycle is 5,120 units; the city has produced 1,753 units through 2023, leaving an estimated remainder of 3,267 units to meet the RHNA by May 2029. Sanchez acknowledged a typographical error in Attachment 1 that lists 455 instead of 458 and directed commissioners to Attachment 2 for the table showing 458 units.

Commissioners pressed staff on the APR’s implementation-status labels and data utility. Commissioner Jerry Johnson asked for better tracking and suggested that the APR include, for incomplete and ongoing items, what has been accomplished, next-year goals and a clearer work program. Sanchez explained that in the APR “incomplete” means no work has been initiated on a given implementation measure, while “ongoing” means work has started but the measure has not been completed. Staff committed to refining the report’s tables and definitions and to providing clearer milestones and measurable progress indicators for future updates.

After discussion, Commissioner Jerry Johnson moved and Vice Chair Peter Gilbert seconded a recommendation that the City Council receive the APR and authorize staff to submit it to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). The motion carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition; staff said the item will be scheduled for City Council consideration on March 26.

The commission’s action was a recommendation to the City Council; it does not adopt or change the General Plan itself. The APR documents implementation status and will be the basis for council review and any subsequent policy or element updates.