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Vote expected next week on U-Stop near Lincoln High

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BY DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 - 12:52:53 am CDT

Is it OK to allow a U-Stop and a fast food restaurant to be built across the street from Lincoln High School, and allow the convenience store to sell alcohol?

That’s what the City Council is contemplating.

Actually, the council contemplated that same question in 2005, and said “yes” to the U-Stop and a McDonald’s, but “no” to alcohol sales. And then Mayor Coleen Seng vetoed the whole project.

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Now the project is back before the council again. Whitehead Oil is again proposing a brick U-Stop and a fast food restaurant on a parking lot at 21st and K streets, although some aspects of the plan have been altered.

So far, the $3.5 million project has had smooth sailing. The developer worked with Mayor Chris Beutler and planning staff to limit access to the site from K and L streets, eliminated a car wash, restricted signage and agreed to install a pedestrian signal at 22nd and K if pedestrian traffic increases enough.

Whitehead’s attorney, Mark Hunzeker, said no contract has been signed with McDonald’s, but planning commission documents indicate that’s the business the developer hopes to locate there.

Concern about students from LHS walking across busy Capitol Parkway was one of the reasons the development was denied the first time around.

But selling alcohol about 650 feet from a high school will likely be a sticking point again — even though it’s legal with a special permit.

The city-county Planning Commission approved a special permit allowing the U-Stop to sell alcohol, but its decision can be appealed to the City Council. Or the council could alter the zoning agreement to ban alcohol sales.

 Hunzeker said the project meets the city criteria for a special permit for alcohol sales, and the police and health departments don’t oppose the sales.

He said if the council bans alcohol sales, that would “essentially cripple” the project after several months of negotiations with city officials. He said that’s “not a way to encourage people to do business in Lincoln,” and noted that alcohol is sold near other Lincoln high schools.

The council held a public hearing on the project Monday, and is expected to vote at its next meeting.

In other business, the council:

* Heard a proposal to change zoning to allow Kaplan University to double the size of its two-story building at 18th and K streets.

As part of the roughly $7 million expansion, a residence hall will be demolished and converted to parking. Kaplan officials said they’re not in the business of providing student housing, and believe the existing nearby rentals can handle the students.

* Delayed until Aug. 18 a public hearing on a zoning change to allow the Lancaster County Agricultural Society to do a commercial development near the Lancaster Event Center and annex 160 acres of land at 84th Street and Havelock Avenue.

The event center’s plans have been in limbo since late 2005, when they were tabled while local officials debated a possible new arena and ways to avoid duplication of local event facilities.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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BicycleMike wrote on July 22, 2008 4:44 am:
" Great just what we need, another ugly convenience store. Just what this neighborhood needs as well... Liquor, does this neighborhood not have enough problems already. Maybe Whitehead should move into the neighborhood so he can enjoy his store. Exploitation is what this is. I'm not a Whiner, I don't really care if you build across from a high school and include alcohol, my problem is building in a fragile neighborhood and exploiting the population of said neighborhood. Might as well turn this area into a "13th and D" as well. "

 Umm no wrote on July 22, 2008 7:46 am:
" It's not okay. Too many kids in Lincoln have no one watching them. This will only make them fatter and drunk. There are a lot of scurvy adults living in the rundown apartment buildings around Lincoln High that would be all too willing to go buy beer for those kids so they can take advantage of them or at the very least have someone to hang out with. Whoever thinks these are good businesses to put next to an already troubled school are either greedy or have their heads in the sand. Come on City Council, WAKE UP! Don't let this area go from bad to worse. I wish you could tear down some of those awful apartment buildings right after saying no to these irresponsible businesses. "

 tribecca wrote on July 22, 2008 8:04 am:
" Let them build the U-Stop and give them the liquor license. Check out some of the other convenience shops and I bet you'll find others the same distance or closer to schools than this. Have you been in that area? Do you see how run-down it looks. Whitehead Oil is proposing to build a decent looking building with landscaping and they are not asking for anything from us taxpayers like TIF! I think that Mayor Seng thought that this area should be a beautiful corridor to downtown and that is why she didn't allow this previously. So there is nothing there now but dirt and a body shop. But property owners in that area need to make enough money to pay their bills and taxes.

Give the high school kids some credit, they know how to look both ways (or one way in this case) for cars. "

 Beaker wrote on July 22, 2008 8:28 am:
" It has been a while since I have been by my old stomping grounds, but isn't there a gas station on the corner across the street from Lincoln High still? I remeber they used to sell alcohol and cigarettes. How is this palce any different than that? It was fine when I was a kid, how is it not fine now.

If the business sells to minors and repeatedly offends the laws in place, the business knows what the potential is. They get fined heavily, face jail time, lose their licenses to operate, and evetually their business, time, and investment. They are perfectly capable of dealing with the risks. This should be approved. It is better than a vacant lot. "

 JB wrote on July 22, 2008 8:31 am:
" Southwest High has a gas station directly across the street from it (as close or closer then this U-Stop would be to Lincoln High). I know for a fact that it sells alcohol because I've bought it there. There's also a coffee shop, ice cream shop, pizza parlor, and fast food in the same strip mall. And just down 14th street (within sight of the school) is a mexican restaurant, another fast food joint, and a sports bar/restaurant (that obviously sells alcohol).

There have been absolutely NO problems what so ever.

Leave it to Lincoln and it vocal minority, holier-then-thou, churchy, residents to make a mountain out of a mole hill. "

 Mary wrote on July 22, 2008 9:08 am:
" I don't drink and I don't like alcohol, but it is the right of the store to sell it. As long as the clerks ID everyone who buys alcohol, then the kids can't buy it and I don't see what the problem is. There are plenty of people driving who have been drinking. The snooty set has their wine with dinner and they think that is okay, but it is still drinking and driving. A kid could get run over right in front of the school by a drunk parent picking up a kid from school. "

 It will wrote on July 22, 2008 9:20 am:
" pass. Why? Because Whitehead is one of the good ole boys. "

 All beef patty special sauce lettuce cheese wrote on July 22, 2008 9:39 am:
" THought I'm not in favor of the alcohol sales I commend people for taking an interest in building in our core. LHS deserves this. There are ample places like this around other schools and servicing neighborhoods why should LHS and the vacinity be left out of the mix. Train the staff well they know that there will be increased traffic, i.e. minors trying to buy and people for them and moniter. This is no different that the U-Stop on 17th just up the street from the University. No one has a problem with that.

Hurry up and build so by second semester I can have my Big Mac and order off the dollar menu! "

 Ummm YES wrote on July 22, 2008 9:47 am:
" To Ummm no,
I really think you need to get your facts straight on what you call a "troubled school". My daughter will be a senior there this year and is on the honor role with 3 of her classes already being at college level. I remember going to East High(too many years ago to count), and Lincoln High was called the "bad kid school". But you know what? They are actually a school that is very high in academics. As my daughter says "our school gets a bad rep because we have such a diverse population and we don't have a very good football team, but people don't realize we are very high in academics". It's too bad people like you don't give the kids and teachers from that school a little more credit because of the location of the school.
And to all you people worried about the kids going and getting drunk before school from the convenience store being built across the street?
I'll tell you what- if these kids want to get drunk, more then likely they aren't going to go to a store where they might run into a teacher getting coffee or gas. And besides, do you actually think that if they don't build it across the street that these kids won't find other ways to get their alcohol if they want? Quit living in lala land and get a grip. Kids find ways to get things they want if they want them bad enough.
Anything is better then a stark looking vacant lot across the street. "

 Japanizzle wrote on July 22, 2008 9:56 am:
" I'm a student at Lincoln High, and the message that I got from this article was that the city council thinks that LHS is a school full of kids that make bad decisions. As a student there I know firsthand that that statement is a complete stereotype. Southwest has a U-Stop across the street that sells alcohol. And every high school has their fair share of troublemakers. So why is it such a big deal if Lincoln High has a gas station across the street that sells alcohol? The Super C that is across the field sells cigarettes and alcohol, and they've never had any problems.
-Japanizzle35 "

 Abby wrote on July 22, 2008 10:23 am:
" I think that this is potentially a good idea. The proposed alcohol sales is something I feel should not be of much concern. As a 20 year old, I know that it doesn't matter the location of a teenager in Lincoln to obtain alcohol. If they want it, they are going to get it, despite the neighborhood or lack of a 21 year old. Also this would bring money to the area which could potentially be a plus. "

 LHS Good Kid wrote on July 22, 2008 10:49 am:
" I'm not jumping on the band wagon here but LHS is a premier school in this community. The alleged reputation that it gets is an undeserved. There are more graduates there each year and the staff and administration is top notch. Principal of the year might I remind you. Youth and adults will make good and bad decisions that is part of life. Go Links and Coach Fultz.... "

 salamandr wrote on July 22, 2008 11:41 am:
" the last i heard selling alcohol to high school students is illegal so whats the problem. also, shouldn't high school students be old enough to cross the street without getting hurt? denying this business the right to exist will not keep people from buying alcohol for minors. quit blaming the business and make people be responsible for themselves. "

 Ted Haubrich wrote on July 22, 2008 11:48 am:
" Umm, there's a C-Stop right next to the school now, that sells both ciggarettes and alcohol, I'm really not sure why this is even an issue for debate. "

 umm wrote on July 22, 2008 12:04 pm:
" Isn't there a gas station/doozies across from North Star that sells alcohol? I don't see a problem here. "

 MO wrote on July 22, 2008 1:04 pm:
" When I was young, I wasn't going to convenient stores to get my alcohol. I was going to my parents (or a friends parents) liquor cabinet. Parents may be more in tune to what is going on now, but there are plenty of parents out there who could give a crap what their kids are doing or whether they have alcohol or drugs in their reach. This is the reason us parents need to properly educate our children on risks of drinking/drugging because if the store doesn't sell it to them, they are going to find a friend with a parent who doesn't care. "

 ls wrote on July 22, 2008 3:53 pm:
" I am a graduate of Lincoln High oh going almost 8 years now. I believe LHS gets a very bad rep. There was apartments that used to be across the street and kids would hang out on the corner. My senior year they tore those down and now its a parking lot I believe and you cannot go through that street anymore. Those apts were bad news but as far as the school itself GREAT! There is a Super C not far from there that I and other kids used to skip to go and get snacks. So, even if they didn't build the U-Stop that wouldn't stop kids from going to the Super C. Let them build it. Yeah I was against building a fast food there but I got to thinking about how when I was there they would bring in Davincis everyday for kids to buy pizza. So that isn't any different from them leaving to buy it. "

 Shelly wrote on July 23, 2008 10:47 am:
" If they're going to get a permit to sell alcohol, can they also give one to the Kabredlos on 10th and Charleston? They can't sell alcohol because of that run-down church accross the street, which seems ridiculous! "

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