LINCOLN COUNTY, NEBRASKA COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE 2012 TO 2030 Prepared By TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Steering Committee Members Joe Hewgley County Board of Commissioners Lowell Fenster County Planning Commissioner Cindy Smith County At-Large Member Brian Hope Nebraska Public Power District Frank Fleecs Lincoln County Board of Adjustment Jon McNeel Lincoln County Board of Adjustment Tim Anderson Central Public Power District Carol Bodeen North Platte Area Chamber and Development Nancy Striebel Lincoln County CDC Eric Seacrest Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation Dr. David Engle North Platte Public Schools Willis Roethemeyer County Board of Commissioners Wes Grady Community Member Judy Roberts Community Member Don Haws Community Member Boni Edwards Lincoln County Surveyor Rod Christmann Lincoln County Planning Commissioner Kurt Pieper Lincoln County Planning Commissioner Steve Koch Lincoln County Planning Commissioner Mike Sharkey North Platte Regional Airport Susan Hood County At-Large Member Board of Commissioners Joe Hewgley District 1 Duane Deterding District 2 2012 Chair Willis Roethemeyer District 3 County Personnel Judy Clark Planning and Zoning Administrator Julie Stenger Assessor Rebecca Rossell Clerk/Election Commissioner Joe Wright Deputy County Attorney Jerry Hitchcock Highway Superintendent Sue Fleck Treasurer Boni Edwards Surveyor Planning Commission Board of Adjustment Rod Christmann Lowell Fenster Frank Fleecs Kurt Pieper Jon McNeel Steve Koch PLANNING CONSULTANTS The Lincoln County Comprehensive Development Plan, Zoning & Subdivision Regulations were funded in part through a Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, a grant from the Nebraska Department of Roads, the City of North Platte and Lincoln County. i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 2 THE PURPOSE OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ......................................................................................... 2 PLAN PREPARATION ........................................................................................................................ 3 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMPONENTS ................................................................................................... 3 GOVERNMENTAL AND JURISDICTIONAL ORGANIZATION .............................................................................. 4 LINCOLN COUNTY PROFILE ...................................................................................................... 5 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ................................................................................................................... 6 HOUSING PROFILE ........................................................................................................................ 13 ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT PROFILE ............................................................................................... 20 AGRICULTURAL PROFILE ................................................................................................................. 33 COUNTY FACILITIES ...................................................................................................................... 38 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES .............................................................................................................. 39 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ............................................................................................................... 47 FIRE PROTECTION ........................................................................................................................ 52 LAW ENFORCEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 58 COUNTY BUILDINGS ...................................................................................................................... 59 HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND SITES ...................................................................................................... 59 COMMUNICATION FACILITIES ........................................................................................................... 61 PUBLIC UTILITIES ......................................................................................................................... 62 HEALTH FACILITIES....................................................................................................................... 63 ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL AND MAN-MADE RESOURCES ............................................................................ 65 ENERGY ELEMENT ................................................................................................................. 108 ENERGY ELEMENT....................................................................................................................... 109 ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................................................. 110 ENERGY USE BY SECTOR .............................................................................................................. 112 SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES ....................................................................................... 114 RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ....................................................................................................... 115 NET METERING IN NEBRASKA ......................................................................................................... 118 STATE LAW OF SOLAR AND WIND EASEMENTS ...................................................................................... 119 CURRENT RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMS AND FUNDING SOURCES ........................................................... 119 ENVISION LINCOLN COUNTY ................................................................................................ 121 iii ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LINCOLN COUNTY TOMORROW ............................................................................................ 133 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 134 EXISTING LAND USE.................................................................................................................... 135 EXISTING LAND USE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 139 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM................................................................................................ 139 LAND USE/GROWTH MANAGEMENT GOALS, POLICIES AND STRATEGIES ...................................................... 147 COUNTY LAND USE MANAGEMENT POLICY (CLUMP) ............................................................................ 150 FUTURE LAND USE...................................................................................................................... 157 LAND USE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 170 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN ..................................................................................................... 170 IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................................................ 179 ACHIEVING LINCOLN COUNTY’S FUTURE ............................................................................................ 180 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................. 180 UNANTICIPATED OPPORTUNITIES .................................................................................................... 181 METHODS FOR EVALUATING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ......................................................................... 181 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: LINCOLN COUNTY POPULATION TRENDS 1930 TO 2010 7 FIGURE 2: POPULATION TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS, LINCOLN COUNTY, 1930 TO 2040 13 FIGURE 3: AGE OF EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, LINCOLN COUNTY, 2009 14 FIGURE 4: PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS BASED IN LINCOLN COUNTY 2006 - 2007 51 FIGURE 5:FIRE DISTRICT MAP 57 FIGURE 6: RIVERINE WETLAND SYSTEM 70 FIGURE 7: LACUSTRINE WETLAND SYSTEM 71 FIGURE 8: PALUSTRINE WETLAND SYSTEM 71 FIGURE 9: WETLANDS MAP 72 FIGURE 10: GENERAL SOIL ASSOCIATIONS 75 FIGURE 11: SLOPES MAP 90 FIGURE 12: PRIME FARMLAND MAP 91 FIGURE 13: DWELLINGS W/O BASEMENTS MAP 95 FIGURE 14: DWELLINGS W/ BASEMENTS MAP 96 FIGURE 15: SEPTIC TANK MAP 97 FIGURE 16: SEWAGE LAGOONS MAP 98 FIGURE 17: LOCAL ROADS AND STREETS 99 FIGURE 18: PATHS AND TRAILS 100 FIGURE 19: DRAINAGE BY ASSOCIATION MAP 102 FIGURE 20: HYDRIC SOLIS MAP 103 FIGURE 21: WATER TABLE ELEVATION 105 FIGURE 22: THICKNESS OF PRINCIPAL AQUIFER 106 FIGURE 23: ANNUAL AVERAGE WIND SPEED AT 80 METERS MAP 115 FIGURE 24: EXISTING LAND USES 136 FIGURE 25: EXISTING TYPES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND 137 FIGURE 26: 2008 TRAFFIC VOLUME MAP 141 FIGURE 27: 1968 TRAFFIC VOLUME MAP 141 FIGURE 28A: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM-NW QUADRANT 142 FIGURE 28B: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM-NE QUADRANT 143 FIGURE 28C: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM-SW QUADRANT 144 FIGURE 28D: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM-SE