League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County

P.O. Box 1072, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

March 13, 2005

John Haase, Chairman

Members

Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission City Hall

Lawrence, Kansas 66044

RE: ITEM NO. 8: PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR HUTTON FARMS WEST; NORTH OF PETERSON ROAD & EAST OF MONTEREY WAY

Dear Chairman Haase and Planning Commissioners:

One of the conditions staff has recommended for the Hutton Farms PDP is a requirement to provide a pedestrian connection between Daylily Drive and Hutton Way as a revision to the Preliminary Development Plan. We commend the staff for recognizing the need for pedestrian connections within the development. The Land Use Committee also suggests that the specific area "not to be disturbed" be clearly marked and preserved as "open space," and that there be a pedestrian connection to the area from Phase I.

We also noted that, except for a day-care center and an office complex, there are no neighborhood services within walking distance of this relatively intensive PUD. The number of units combined in both Hutton Farms and Hutton Farms West would be sufficient to allow one acre of commercial use within this development primarily for the occupants of the PUD (Ordinance 20-1007(B)). We suggest that, in order to avoid forcing the residents to be completely auto-dependent, provision for a restaurant, a beauty/barber shop, and other non-retail personal service facilities accessible to a convenient bus stop would be welcome.

So many of our new residential areas are being "planned" only for housing without also providing pedestrian-accessible locations for the other neighborhood services needed. Properly planning residential areas as neighborhoods would reduce the total auto-dependence of our population. Such planning would add to the convenience of our daily lives and provide destinations and incentives for pedestrians, even as it reduces traffic congestion by providing alternatives to arterial use. We ask that you begin planning for entire neighborhood areas first, and not continue to add incrementally more unrelated housing developments to our vacant lands, as has been occurring in these new sections west of Kasold.

Thank you for your consideration.