Overview of the Proposed Cooperation Agreement Between
the City of Lawrence and the University of Kansas

This document is the product of careful deliberation by a city and university task force appointed by the Mayor of Lawrence and the Chancellor of the University of Kansas.

The task force believes the proposed agreement offers a reasonable and mutually beneficial means of balancing the interests of the City and the University and clarifying the land-use relationship between them. The City has the responsibility to establish planning and zoning regulations. The University, a state agency, has the responsibility to use land for the purposes of its state-wide educational mission. This cooperation agreement provides a carefully considered mechanism by which the parties may achieve predictability in their land-use decisions. It also provides an alternative to costly potential legal disputes over the applicability of certain City land-use regulations to University property.

Among the provisions of the agreement:

· It defines the boundary of the primary Lawrence campus.

· It establishes that the University will comply with all City land-use regulations for all property owned by the University outside that boundary.

· It defines a 150-foot buffer within the campus exterior boundary. Whenever the University plans new construction within the buffer, it will take certain steps: conduct an impact analysis, notify property owners and neighborhoods, create an ad hoc community advisory committee to review site, construction, setback, and lighting plans, etc., and receive recommendations.

· Any proposed expansion of the University’s current boundary will comply with City regulations, subject to the normal variance review process.

· The City, in turn, will notify the University of any planned new construction, requests to operate liquor stores or drinking establishments or issuance of environmental code violations occurring within a 150-foot buffer outside the campus boundary.