PLANNING	MEMO
OFFICE

TO:      Mike Wildgen, City Manager                 

FROM:  Planning Staff

DATE:  September 29, 2004

SUBJECT: Hobbs Park

Introduction/History

In April 2004, the Hobbs Park Memorial Fund requested that the Historic Resources Commission (HRC) investigate the feasibility of listing Hobbs Park on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.  At their meeting on August 19, 2004, the HRC determined that Hobbs Park meets the criteria for designation established in Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence and voted unanimously to recommend that the City Commission, as property owner, initiate the landmark application process.

Discussion

The Conservation of Historic Resources Code (Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence) establishes the Historic Resources Commission (HRC) and outlines the powers and duties of the Commission.  22-205(B)(3) identifies that the HRC “Investigate and recommend to the City Commission the adoption of ordinances designating sites, structures and objects having special historical, community, or architectural value as landmarks.”  Nomination of a site, structure or object for designation as a landmark or of an area for designation as an historic district may be made only by application.  22-402(A) of the Code of the City of Lawrence identifies that the application may be made by resolution of the City Commission. 

The HRC directed staff to investigate the feasibility of listing Hobbs Park on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.  With the aid of the Hobbs Park Memorial Fund, staff gathered enough preliminary information to identify that the park is eligible for listing on the Lawrence Register under the following criteria:

1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state, or nation;

(2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;

(3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state, or nation;

(4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials.

Recommendation/Action

Planning staff recommends that the City Commission receive the attached letter from the Historic Resources Commission and, if appropriate, direct staff to draft a resolution to initiate an application for Hobbs Park to be nominated to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.