MEMORANDUM

 

TO:            City Commissioners

                  County Commissioners

 

FROM:      Lawrence/Douglas County Economic Development Board

 

RE:             Recommendations Regarding Future Open Space Projects

 

DATE:       September 14, 2005

 

CC:            Mike Wildgen, City of Lawrence

                  Craig Weinaug, Douglas County

                  Linda Finger, Planning Office

 

 

 

As per your request the Lawrence/Douglas County Economic Development Board (ED Board) has met to respond to and answers the majority of your questions regarding open space preservation in Douglas County prior to 2012.  On June 3, 2005 the ED Board transmitted its industrial park recommendation and is currently working on a response to your request for cost estimates for the recommended industrial parks.

 

The ED Board strongly recommends open space and industrial park projects prior to 2012 be pursued in companion projects.  This ED Board recommendation regarding Open Space and the ongoing recommendation regarding Industrial Parks are considered part and parcel of the same recommendation, but for practical reasons continue to be presented in components.

 

In completing our task, we analyzed the following:

 

1)                  Open Space (OPEN SPACE) in Douglas County

a.                  Categories of Open Space under ECO˛

                                             i.                        Trails

                                           ii.                        Natural Resources

a)                  native prairie

b)                  mature forest

c)                  wetlands

d)                  riparian lands (adjacent to streams, rivers and lakes); and

e)                  habitat for protected species

                                          iii.                        Agricultural Land

                                         iv.                        Scenic Lands

                                           v.                        Historic Sites

                                         vi.                        Lands Promoting Integration/Connectivity

b.                  Methods of preserving Open Space

                                             i.                        Buy land

                                           ii.                        Buy Conservation Easement

2)                  Initial Open Space Projects funded through economic development

a.                   Will leverage other funding for projects

                                             i.                        Landowner (bargain sale)

                                           ii.                        Federal & State funding

a)                  T-21 (trails/bridge)

b)                  FRPP (conservation easements on prime agricultural land)

                                          iii.                        Private Grants

b.                  Broad support for projects in our community and projects already underway.

3)                  Open Space Priorities in Douglas County

a.                   Open Space projects in Douglas County that meet ECO˛  Open Space criteria and goals

                                            i.                        Two Rivers Trail

a)                  Open Space categories met: trails, riparian lands, scenic lands and land promoting integration

b)                  First Phase of Trail Plan

(i)      Pedestrian bridge over Kansas River at 8th & Oak

(ii)  Trail segments

§         Kansas River to 11th Street

§         11th Street to 23rd Street

§         23rd Street to 31st Street

§         31st  Street to Wakarusa River

(iii)   Future Phases – Emerald necklace around Lawrence, along the rivers, connecting the rivers with Clinton Lake, Lawrence and Eudora.

                                          ii.                        Black Jack Battlefield

a)                  Open Space categories met: historic sties, native prairie, trails and riparian lands

b)                  Historic battlefield and home.  The site where in 1856, abolitionist John Brown defeated encamped proslavery fighters.  House of Robert L. Pearson, built in 1880s

c)                  Native Prairie

d)                  Prairie Restoration

e)                  Creeks and spring water

f)                    Trails

g)                  Education

h)                  Community support began in 2002, the site was purchased in 2003.

                                        iii.                        Prairie project

a)                  Open Space categories met: native prairie, trails, historic site, riparian lands and lands promoting integration

b)                  Near Lone Star Lake, 150 acres

c)                  Native prairie

d)                  Restored prairie and riparian areas – what did the land look like before settlement

e)                  Historic school house nearby to be donated and moved.  Also has bleeding Kansas history; adjacent road links California trail with the Oregon Trail; 1 ˝ miles from Ft. Sanders which was burned.

f)                    Trails to be developed on site and off site by other historic significant and to Lone Star Lake

                                         iv.                        Baldwin Woods

a)                  Open Space categories met: mature forest, historic site and lands promoting integration

b)                  100 acres proposed for CE

c)                  Adjacent to KU Breidenthal Reserve

d)                  High quality forest

e)                  Sandstone cliffs

f)                    Historic significance

b.                  Evaluation of Open Space Project with ECO˛  Open Space Tools.  The recommended Open Space projects were reviewed with the ECO˛  Open Space Tools (see Appendix A) and received favorable evaluation.

 

After much discussion, the Board unanimously approved to recommend net equity of public investment in open space preservation and industrial parks.  Net equity takes into account that an average industrial park project recoups a significant portion of the overall expense.  Information studied by ECO˛  on industrial park costs showed an average industrial park expense could be about $20 million and all but about $5 million would be recouped.  We consider the $5 million to be the net investment in the average industrial park.  Open space investment does not directly recoup any of its investment.  This recommendation is based on the principal of net equity, based on information that the average industrial park net investment.  In addition, the timeframe for investment is assumed to be a ten year period between 2005 and 2015.

 

Therefore we recommend for the period of 2005 through 2015 for each industrial park the companion open space investment be $5 million.  Based on an assumption of one industrial park we recommend:

 

$5 million for Open Space between 2005 and 2015 with funding in the following manner:

Ř      Existing Open Space Projects (2005 – 2015)

o       $2,350,000 of the total projects costs of $8,000,000. (30% of total)

§         $1.5 million to Two Rivers Trail – First Phase.  Funding for pedestrian bridge over Kansas River, total estimated cost for first phase is $5 million.

§         $300,000 to Black Jack Battlefield Project – Funding toward land & CE acquisition cost, total project cost estimate $1,700,000

§         $250,000 to Prairie project – Funding toward land purchase, total estimated project cost $1 million.

§         $300,000 to Baldwin Woods Project  – Funding of purchase of conservation easement, total estimated project cost of $300,000.

Ř      $2,650,000 for future Open Space Projects (2005-2015)

APPENDIX A

ECO˛  Open Space Tools

 

A.        ECO˛  Open Space Criteria

1.                                                                  Primary Criteria

·        Intent of landowners to voluntarily participate; strong landowner commitment to perpetuating conservation values.

·        The land or conservation easement can be acquired with reasonable effort and cost in relation to its value. 

·        Must be eligible land under one of the Open Lands categories.

·        Proposal promotes the overall goals and objectives of the ECO˛  Open Space Plan.

2.                                                                  Secondary Criteria

·        Water quality protection (e.g. wetlands, floodplains)

·        Multiple conservation values

·        Habitat for protected species (e.g. prairies, wetlands)

·        Sites of historic or cultural significance

·        Connectivity to intact natural areas/protected lands, recreational parks, trails, schools, residential areas, business

·        High risk of conversion to other uses

·        Accessibility to public

·        Public use appropriate to the conservation values

·        Recreational use appropriate with conservation values

·        Proposals that include institutional support for management, maintenance, or other services (e.g. trails)

·        Proposal with matching funds, partner funding, bargain sale, or includes donation

·        Size meets the suggested minimum within the appropriate category of Open Lands

·        Agricultural viability and suitability

·        Scenic value

 

3.                  Open Space Formula:  Assists in evaluating a project by assigning a project score that is based on a measurement of the projects value for each criteria.

4.                  Open Space Priority Areas: Currently under evaluation by ECO˛  Open Space Work Group - - Identify general areas of land with concentrations of Open Space values.  Generally, it is a consensus that initial projects should have a lot of public access and promote connectivity for greater use, contain multiple Open Space categories and promote greater awareness of the unique quality of Open Space in Douglas County.

a.                   Area along Kansas River and the Wakarusa River

b.         Area around Clinton Lake

c.                   Baldwin Woods

d.                  Ag area east of East Hills Business Park

e.                   Corridors connecting the above areas