In partnership with Omaha Together One Community, Sierra Club co-sponsored a bus tour on Saturday, December 7th to educate community activists about the need for Smart Growth in Omaha. Participants got to see examples of sprawling residential developments in west Omaha as well as examples of redevelopment projects in the eastern part of our city.

A trend that is particularly disturbing is the construction of huge footprint stores along major arterial streets like Maple and Center. This decentralized development is difficult to serve with public transit and forces customers to drive from store to store to do their shopping. This style of development not only wastes land but generates a lot of traffic congestion. A Transportation Needs Study was supposed to commence last August to identify Omaha’s existing and future street capacity needs and recommend ways to finance these projects including levying impact fees for new developments. Thus, new development would help pay for the street capacity required to handle the traffic it generates. The Metropolitan Omaha Builders Association opposes impact fees and lobbied the City Council to delay the study for at least 6 months. Now it appears the study will not begin until Spring. Sierra Club and OTOC want the study to start NOW!

The tour included a rally and press conference near 130th & L overlooking the Avaya Plant site where developers propose to locate a Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and Home Depot stores. The developers want three new access points off L St. to serve their stores, but the NE Dept. Roads only wants one - at the mid-point between 120th and 132nd. If West Maple and West Center are examples, the developers will get their way unless we speak up when this project comes before the Planning Board.

Come join us at the next meeting of the Metro Area Development Committee (we’re MAD about sprawl!), Tuesday, January 14, 7:00pm, at St. Pius Parrish Center, 69th & Blondo.