JULY2008
IN THIS ISSUE

ObD to Host Public Forum on Electronic Billboards July 29

Youngman Lake Takes Shape on Elkhorn’s Edge

City Council Adopts Omaha Streetscape Handbook

Annual Report Available Online

Support Sought for The Big Garden

Design Notes

Green Homes: Green Your Eating

ObD to Host Public Forum on Electronic Billboards July 29

Omaha by Design will host a public forum on electronic billboards Tuesday, July 29. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the W.H. Thompson Alumni Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The forum will serve two purposes, said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design. The first is to provide the public with background information on the issues surrounding the use of electronic billboards. The second is to give local residents an opportunity to voice their opinions on the subject.

The issue of electronic billboards surfaced locally in April when Lamar Outdoor – part of one of the nation’s largest outdoor advertising corporations - erected five electronic billboards in Omaha in an apparent violation of the city’s zoning ordinance.

“In our opinion, it’s Wal-Mart all over again,” Spellman said, referring to 2002 when city council members balked at the proposed design plans for two new Wal-Mart stores in Omaha. When the company architect said Wal-Mart designs its stores to the minimum standards the community requires, city officials took action. They identified the need to establish a higher community standard of design and improve Omaha’s zoning and subdivision codes accordingly. The result was the creation of the Urban Design Element in 2004 and last August’s passage of a zoning code revisions package to implement the Urban Design Element.

“Omahans clearly expressed their desire for regulations that improve the appearance of Omaha and the connections between the city’s neighborhoods, commercial centers and civic districts,” said David Levy, an attorney with Baird Holm and a member of the Omaha by Design Advisory Committee. “And Wal-Mart proceeded with its new stores despite the tougher requirements, disproving the notion that appropriate regulation undermines economic development. Electronic billboards raise the same issues, but on a larger scale due to the potential for them to proliferate quickly throughout the city if not appropriately regulated.”

On June 3, the Omaha City council passed an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance that clarifies the prohibition of electronic billboards. The amendment, effective through Dec. 31, 2008, will give the city planning department time to negotiate with the two billboard companies currently operating in Omaha regarding the potential use of electronic billboards in the city. Waitt Outdoor, the other company with a billboard presence in Omaha, has not erected any electronic billboards in the city to date.

“Omaha by Design is not opposed to the use of billboards in Omaha, electronic or otherwise,” Spellman said. “However, electronic billboards represent a significant new land use and therefore warrant careful study and appropriate regulation. We believe the public has a right to learn more about the issue before any change in policy is approved.”

Parking for the forum will be available in the alumni center lot. For more information, contact Omaha by Design at 402.342.3458 or info@omahabydesign.org.

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Grading continues at Youngman Lake, born from the city’s master plan for a suburban park system and realized, in part, through the generosity of an Omaha family.

Youngman Lake Takes Shape
on Elkhorn’s Edge

Horace Cleveland would approve of the project under way at the northwest corner of 192nd and Dodge.

Approximately 175 acres of farmland are being shaped into a green space that’s grand in both scale and intent, a nod to early 19th century city park making brought to the forefront by Cleveland, the father of Omaha’s boulevard system, and his celebrated colleagues of the day.

“It’s not often that you’re given the opportunity to alter the natural landscape to achieve a vision, one created by the public for the public,” said Larry Foster, administrator for the City of Omaha’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property.

That’s exactly the case with Youngman Lake, born from the city’s master plan for a suburban park system and realized, in part, through the generosity of an Omaha family.

Several years back, the parks department surveyed suburbanites via phone and focus group to tap into their vision for public green spaces in emerging areas of the city. Near the top of the list was the desire for a “Memorial Park West,” a large open park with commanding views and the capacity to host major events.

In 2001, the city purchased 77 acres of the park site - hilly farmland with a creek running through it - for $2 million. The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District purchased the remaining 98 acres and constructed a dam to create the 60-acre lake.

In late 2007, the project’s implementation was buoyed by a $500,000 gift from Judy Wigton in honor of her father, Lawrence Youngman, who passed away in 2003. An Omaha World-Herald correspondent who dispatched stories and photos of Nebraska and Iowa troops from the battlefields of France during World War II, Youngman later founded Travel and Transport Inc. He was a staunch supporter of physical improvements to the city, from the predecessor to the Omaha Airport Authority to Lauritzen Gardens.

Youngman Lake is a converse mirror image of Memorial Park. It slopes up to meet West Dodge Street, blocking out the sounds of the city to create an immediate immersion into nature. The guiding principle for the park’s development is the lake itself, the focal point of the surrounding green space.

More than 200,000 cubic yards of dirt was removed from the lake bed and reused to create the park’s highest ridge adjacent to West Dodge Road. Access to the boat ramp, constructed in 2007 when the lake was still filling, should be available in late fall of 2008. The lake will be open to boat traffic of all sizes, but a no-wake boating rule will be in effect.

Those who canoe and kayak will be able to enjoy the newly-created waters, as will local fishing enthusiasts. Foster said the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has stocked the lake with fish, and deep pockets have been carved into the lake bed to provide quality fish habitat. A floating fishing peer will give users access to the deeper portions of the lake.

Grading work on the site began in the fall of 2007. Foster said the crews have been back at it this spring for six weeks, and the grading should be completed in two to three weeks. City crews will then begin seeding the site in August.

Work on the access road will begin this summer - a boulevard style split entrance with a planted strip of green space in the center. The creation of a playground area, a natural amphitheater and parking with ample room for boat trailers rounds out Phase I of the project.

Other amenities will be added as additional funds are secured, including the construction of a trail encircling the lake, trails to nearby Elkhorn High School and Metropolitan Community College, and an indoor pavilion of architectural significance. “Creating Youngman Lake is a bit like creating a painting – it’s a canvas that you fill over a long period of time,” Foster said.

For more information about Youngman Lake, contact Foster at lfoster@ci.omaha.ne.us.

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Complete streets provide comfortable space for motorists, transit passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Pictured above is a section of Omaha’s N. 24th Street.
City Council Adopts
Omaha Streetscape Handbook

A plan for ramping up the appearance and functionality of Omaha’s streets has received a boost from the Omaha City Council.

At its July 1 meeting, the council voted 6-0 to approve an amendment to the Urban Design Element of the city’s master plan that calls for implementing the recommendations outlined in the Omaha Streetscape Handbook, a new publication that seeks to improve the appearance of Omaha’s streets and create an environment that’s welcoming to pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and users of mass transit.

The handbook is the work of a diverse task force of representatives from Omaha by Design, the city’s parks, planning and public works departments, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Planning Association, the Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Department of Roads.

“We want to create an attractive and functional street environment in Omaha, and we also want to encourage cohesive design in highly visible public rights of way,” said Larry Jacobsen, chair of the Omaha Streetscape Handbook Task Force and a vice president with Schemmer Associates. “The handbook will serve as a guide for city project managers, developers and design professionals in working toward the achievement of these outcomes.”

The handbook evolved from a series of recommendations outlined in the city’s Urban Design Element. It can be thought of as the public counterpart to the city’s zoning code revisions and additions package passed in 2007, which focuses on private sector development and redevelopment, said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design.

The publication is based on the execution of six principles – implementing sustainable practices, developing complete streets, using cohesive design elements, promoting safety and security, coordinating maintenance with design and implementation, and protecting and enhancing historic character.

Omaha by Design will sponsor quarterly reviews of the handbook to evaluate its progress and implementation, Spellman said. It is designed to be used in conjunction with a number of existing tools, including the city’s green streets master plan and the guidelines established by the Omaha Public Art Commission.

The Omaha Streetscape Handbook was made possible by grants from the Gilbert M. and Martha H. Hitchcock Foundation and the Fund for Omaha. RDG Planning and Design served as the project consultant.

To request a CD of the handbook, contact Chris Hall at 402.342.3458 or chris@omahabydesign.org.

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Annual Report Available Online

Omaha by Design’s 2007 annual report is now available online at www.omahabydesign.org.

The publication charts the organization’s progress in its three program areas: Green Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the city’s natural setting and public park system; Civic Omaha, which seeks to define and improve the city’s civic places and public image; and Neighborhood Omaha, which seeks to preserve and enhance the diversity of the city’s residential neighborhoods.

Among the 2007 accomplishments are the unanimous city council approval of a groundbreaking package of revisions and additions to Omaha’s zoning code, the publication of the inaugural Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy, and the continuing development of the Benson-Ames Alliance. “Throughout the city, growing numbers of people are beginning to realize that how a city looks and feels and how its many parts connect with one another relate directly to its potential for transformation,” said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design.

To download a PDF of the report, click here. For more information, contact Omaha by Design at info@omahabydesign.org.

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The Big Garden teaches people in the metro how to grow their own food and improve their nutrition at the same time.
Support Sought for The Big Garden

Editor’s Note: This is the eighth in a continuing series of entries from the first Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy, a compendium of strategic giving opportunities that focus on the city’s natural and built environments. The Omaha Catalogue was published in December 2007 by Omaha by Design and the Omaha Community Foundation. It has attracted donations from Omaha’s philanthropic community at both the foundation and individual level, including a $10,000 gift to The Big Garden. The Sierra Club recently recognized The Big Garden as one of 50 exceptional faith-based environmental initiatives in the 50 states. For more information on how to donate to a project, contact Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, or Sara Boyd, vice president of the Omaha Community Foundation, at 402.342.3458.

Imagine confusing pasta with corn on the cob or mistaking a tomato for an apple because of its color. In Omaha, organizers of a community gardening effort see it happen on more than a passing occasion.

Eradicating the nutrition knowledge gap is one of the goals of The Big Garden, founded by an Omaha pastor as a community outreach activity in 2006. Initial funding was provided by a U.S. Department of Agriculture community garden grant and the United Methodist Church.

The project seeks to provide nutritious food for residents of east Omaha, build better neighborhoods, provide nutrition and preventive health education, foster lifelong learning, create opportunities for volunteerism and promote intergenerational activities based around community gardens. During its first year, five garden sites hosted 43,000 volunteer visits. Of the 3,000 pounds of food raised, 1,000 pounds was donated to local food pantries. In 2007, the project managed 15 garden sites throughout east Omaha and Bellevue. The goal is to develop 10 new sites in 2008.

In addition to launching new sites, the project plans to ramp up its focus on nutrition and preventive health education. Research has shown that children who garden eat more than twice the amount of vegetables than their non-gardening counterparts. 

A variety of donor opportunities are available.

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A rendering of the plaza from the bridge.
Design Notes

Plaza Construction Begins
The plaza is in play.

Construction has begun on the Pedestrian Bridge Plaza – the riverfront area on the Omaha side of the Missouri River. The project, featured in the inaugural edition of the Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy, has met its private fund-raising goal of $1.8 million. Sure to become popular with tourists and locals, the plaza will feature an interactive water plaza, a unique public art sculpture and a play area designed to educate children about the Missouri River environment.

Larry Foster, administrator for the City of Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property,
ticked off the following activity list:

The Omaha Catalogue of Urban Design Philanthropy was published by Omaha by Design and the Omaha Community Foundation in December 2007. For more information, contact Connie Spellman or Sara Boyd at 402.342.3458.


Water Park West
Plans for Omaha’s largest pool are moving forward.

On June 24, the Omaha City Council approved a $284,000 contract for the design of an aquatic park at Zorinsky Lake. The facility, with a planned pool capacity of about 410, is one of four new water parks included in the city’s pool plan established in the 1990s. The first, Miller Park, opened in 1999.

The Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property will give the public an opportunity to offer their ideas on potential park amenities. Following the design phase, construction could begin as early as next spring. 

For more information about the city’s park system, visit www.ci.omaha.ne.us/parks.


Ride the Swan
Have you been to the mall lately?

If you’re looking for an alternative to shopping away your summer hours, head downtown and look for the giant swan. Heartland Gondolas Inc. is offering swan boat rides through Gene Leahy Mall.

The customized boat, which looks like an enormous version of the birds that call the mall home, made its debut last month during the annual Taste of Omaha celebration.

The swan boat operates Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to sundown and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. Passengers load and unload near the slides at the east end of the mall. The cost is $3 for adults and $2 for children younger than 12.

For more information, visit www.heartlandgondolas.com.


Medians with Moxy
When it comes to beautifying medians, no one does it better than the Big Apple.

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s Public Art Program is presenting an exhibition of Jun Kaneko sculptures on the Park Avenue Malls through November 2008. Three of the Omaha-based artist’s largest sculptures, each titled HEAD (2004 to 2007), are currently on view in the landscaped medians at 52nd, 53rd and 54th.

Kaneko has been based in Omaha since 1986. His artwork appears in numerous international and national solo and group exhibitions annually, and is included in more than 70 museum collections.

For more information about the artist, visit www.junkaneko.com.

For more information about the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, visit www.nycgovparks.org.


Mural Unfolding Downtown
The story of Omaha – past, present and future – is gradually unfolding on a mammoth brick wall near 13th and Cass in downtown Omaha.

Philadelphia artist Meg Saligman is creating a 22,000-square-foot mural on the east wall of the Energy Systems Inc. building. The project, titled “Fertile Ground,” is the brainchild of the Peter Kiewit Foundation with help from the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The wall is roughly 70 feet tall by 328 feet wide. When finished next spring, it may be one of the largest murals in the United States.

To read more about the project as it develops, visit www.megsaligman.com and click on “Blog/Current Projects.”

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Green Homes: Green Your Eating

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a continuing series of articles provided by the Green Omaha Coalition’s Green Neighborhood Council. The Green Omaha Coalition is dedicated to promoting a healthy, sustainable community through partnerships, policy and smart solutions. Omaha by Design is a founding partner. This month’s column was written by the Food Choices Committee of the Green Neighborhood Council - Trilety Wade, Kathy Townsend, Mary Green, Nancy Williams, Katja Koehler-Cole and Daniel Lawse.

Eat locally – but why? Ask seven Omaha foodies why it’s important to eat locally, and this is what you’ll learn.

Taste and Nutrition
Local produce harvested close to the sell date is fresher and more nutritious than national or global food because fewer in-transit days are required to bring the food to your table. Choosing locally means you eat kale from Blair, Neb., not California. 

Food Security
Growing and purchasing locally grown or raised produce and meat increases the local food supply, providing greater access to healthy food for families. For more information, visit www.foodsecurity.org or www.usda.gov and search “Community Food Systems.”

Resiliency
Producing and consuming food within one region reduces dependence on external resources. A resilient community indicates a city’s ability to produce enough food locally to help prevent a crippled economy in the face of food or oil shortages.

Economics 
Purchasing food and meat from local farmers and ranchers who direct funds back into the community builds a sustainable economy. When you pay a local grower or rancher, you are paying for the production of your food – not for packaging, long-term storage or long-distance transportation. When food is in-season and plentiful, it’s usually inexpensive, too!

Biodiversity
Liberating your food choices from a commercial market dominated by a few hybrid varieties means you have more decision-making power about what varieties of fruits, veggies and even meats you eat. A dwindling agricultural gene pool creates concern about the vulnerabilities of monotypic crops – think Irish potato famine and food security.

Lifestyle
Gardening creates connections - connections between people and nature, between consumers and producers, and between citizens and their community.  Growing food can engender a sense of awe, and it’s fresh air exercise!

Peak Oil
Oil is a finite natural resource, and the world is running out of cheap, easily accessible oil. If your food was grown with commercial chemical inputs, harvested with oil-dependent equipment, transported long-distances via trucks and shipped or wrapped in petroleum-based packaging, then your food is oily! Growing and eating local food can reduce our oil dependence and mitigate the effects of “peak oil.”

Here’s how you can start eating locally.

Visit one of Omaha’s many farmers’ markets.
For markets in Nebraska, visit www.agr.state.ne.us/pub/apd/produce.htm or www.localharvest.org

Join a food co-op.
Visit the Nebraska Food Co-operative at www.nebraskafood.org to find a variety of local meats, cheeses, eggs and baked goods.

Join or start a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization.
Visit www.csacenter.org or www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml. The Alternative Farm Systems Information Center defines a CSA as a “community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farm becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the grower and consumer providing mutual support and sharing the responsibilities and benefits of food production.”

Join a community garden.
Community gardening allows you to cultivate food on a nearby plot of land with other food-interested folks. You can learn and grow side-by-side with neighbors and friends. Omaha’s community gardens include City Sprouts at 40th & Franklin, the Gifford Park Community Garden at 35th & Cass Street, and 13 Big Garden sites throughout the city. To find out more about community gardening, visit www.communitygarden.org.

Be a local food advocate.
Talk to the managers at your local grocery store and restaurants, members of the school board, representatives of your city and your local corrections system. Explain why choosing locally produced and raised food and meat is important, and see how you or your organization can work with them to begin buying local.

Grow your own food.
Land doesn’t need to be set aside to produce crops. You can plant a kitchen garden or a square-foot garden. Better yet, become a permaculturist. Developed by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, permaculture – permanent culture and permanent agriculture - includes good practices from many disciplines and offers them as an integrated whole.

Don’t limit yourself.
Try locally “value added” foods like flour. Visit www.agr.state.ne.us and click the “Food & Meat Directory” link under “Brochures.”

Plan to attend this month’s Green Living Workshop.
The event, “Green Your Eating,” will be held Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Village Pointe Farmers’ Market. Learn what questions to ask your local growers, see a demonstration by chefs from the Metropolitan Community College Institute of Culinary Arts, be introduced to food storage and sign up for a chance to win prizes. R.S.V.P. to Trilety Wade at trilety@hotmail.com. The event, sponsored by the Green Neighborhood Council of the Green Omaha Coalition, is free and open to the public.

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obddesignline, Omaha by Design’s e-newsletter, is published the second Wednesday of each month. To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you have questions, comments or ideas for people and places to feature in future articles, please send them to teresa@omahabydesign.org or call 402.342.3458.

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