1406 Tennessee

Lawrence   66044

28. April. 2004

City Manager's Office

PO Box 708

Lawrence   66044-2268

  On behalf of the University of Kansas Student Housing Association (UKSHA) I would like to request the following item be added to the City Commission agenda for May 4, 2004.

  UKSHA has been charged for the replacement of the trees which were removed for their move of the Wilcox-Hunter House from 1309 Ohio to 1033 Kentucky, and also for the current value of the trees as specified by the K-State Ornamental Tree Evaluation.   UKSHA would like to request that the City of Lawrence waive the charge for the value of these trees.

  There are several considerations which make this move a unique case.  The house which was moved was a 114 year old historic home which was a part of the Oread neighborhood.  During the debates whether KU would be allowed to tear down the houses on the 1300 block of Ohio, the State Historic Preservation Officer determined that it was a part of the environs of historic properties in our neighborhood.  Many neighborhood residents spoke against the demolition of this and the other houses during these hearings.  While we understand that the loss of street trees is felt by the neighborhood and the city, we would like to point out that the preservation of the Wilcox-Hunter House has contributed to the character of the community.

  In addition, UKSHA has been charged for watering the replacement trees for three years.  Three of these trees are located in the same block as our house, including one directly in front of the house, one across the street, and one two addresses south of our house.  These are located where they can easily be cared for by the residents of our new coop.  UKSHA requests that in lieu of paying for watering these trees, UKSHA will be responsible for watering them for the next three years and will agree to pay for their replacement if they die due to a lack of water during that time.

  When considering this request, UKSHA would like to remind the commission that we incurred significant extra utility costs when we delayed the move and changed the route in order to cut the number of trees removed by half.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Greg Seibel,

Project Manager

Treasurer

Cc: City Commissioners