Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

 

TO:

David Corliss, City Manager

Craig Weinaug, County Administrator

FROM:

Planning Staff

CC:

Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager

Sheila Stogsdill, Interim Planning Director

Date:

June 5, 2007

RE:

Southeast Area Plan

 

 

Southeast Area Plan

This memo explains the timeline and status of the Southeast Area Plan which is an area bounded on the north by E. 23rd Street, on the south the by Wakarusa River, on the east by Noria Road, and on the west by O’Connell Road.

 

Project History 

July 8, 2004             Public meeting on land use recommendations

 

February 25, 2004     A draft of the plan was presented to the Planning Commission for input and additional direction. The PC recommended the following changes/ additions:

§         Map showing existing land uses, regardless of zoning

§         Simplify sewer & water maps to show service areas and which areas had adequate service or the capacity for service

§         Map of drainage basins showing the area served by each trunk line

§         Information on the ability of roads to accommodate potential traffic generation with full development

§         Indication of potential future traffic crisis areas

§         Map showing unbuildable floodplain areas

§         Map showing approximate location of future schools

 

May 5, 2004            Discussion of the plan draft at the City Commission Study Session.

 

June 16, 2004          Discussion of the plan at the Planning Commission Mid-Month.

 

July 28, 2004           A draft of the plan was presented to the Planning Commission with changes to the previous draft to focus on collector and arterial streets, and include new details on maps.  A public hearing on the draft was held.  The PC tabled plan to the September 2004 meeting and directed staff to gather more information to include:

§         New map with more highway design, including correcting the current Franklin Road/SLT connection

§         Comment from the ECO2 committee on the use of this area to fill the city’s need for industrial land, including answering the “critical question” of whether the amount currently provided (East Hills & Farmland) was sufficient for this general area

§         Identification of other industrial sites outside this neighborhood

§         Comment from the School District – It was assumed the District would not respond to Staff’s request or would continue to state they were “not interested”, but Staff was asked to make the request.

 

     September 16, 2004  The draft of the plan was deferred by the City Commission. 

 

October 27, 2004      A draft of the plan was presented to the Planning Commission and a public hearing was held.  Staff presented the PC with two future land use options.  Option 1 identified more industrial and employment related uses and Option 2 identified more residential uses for future land uses.  The PC voted to forward to the City and County Commissions, an opinion of support for Option 1 and to direct Staff to move ahead on detailed area planning for the southeast area based on the conceptual land use shown in Option 1.

 

February 2, 2005      A draft plan was presented to the Planning Commission and a public hearing on the plan was held.  Staff presented the revised draft with the previous “Option 1” shown as the future land use map without an identified future elementary school.  The PC recommended approval of the plan with the following modifications:

§         Addition of language about financing public infrastructure;

§         Addition of language stating that design standards will be developed to ensure the Employment Center has a “campus” look;

§         Franklin Road shall be designed as a multi-modal transportation boulevard;

§         Development of a plan for constructing a bridge across the Kaw River;

§         Addition of language about connectivity to I-70 and the statement that timing is a high priority issue;

§         Addition of signage on Highway K10 to address visibility concerns for businesses in the subject area; and

§         Replacement of all references to the undefined term Employment Center to the term(s) defined in Horizon 2020, “Office/Office Research & Industrial”.

March 7, 2005          The City Commission and County Commission held a joint meeting to discuss the plan.  They came to a consensus that the appointment of a joint commission to resolve the number of industrial acres was needed and appointments to the commission would be made by a consensus between the two Commissions.

May 17, 2005           City Commission discussed forming an adhoc group to consider the Southeast Area Plan. Mayor Highberger said at this point the committee should be dissolved.

 

June 14, 2005          The PC approved draft of the plan was presented to the City Commission where a public hearing was held.  The CC returned the plan to the Planning Commission for further consideration.

 

June 22, 2005          The PC approved draft of the plan was presented by staff to the County Commission and a land use concept was also proposed by Bill Leek of the Peridian Group. The land use concept proposed by Peridian emphasized mainly residential. This proposal showed residential all the way across the southern half of the study area except for a small amount of commercial in the center.  The Option 2 previously proposed also showed more residential land uses in the study area as compared to Option 1, but Option 2 showed an employment center on the southeastern and southern sides of the study area. The County Commission rejected the draft of the plan as presented.

 

July 25, 2005           A memo was presented to the Planning Commission regarding possible options the PC may choose to take regarding the planning efforts.  The PC agreed to revise the membership of the group that had been     working on the plan (CPC) and suggest area boundaries for a new plan termed the Eastern Area Plan.

 

          August 30, 2005       The Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC) met                                                with the City Commission to discuss the plan and gain                                              direction.

 

          September 6, 2005    The CPC met with the County Commission to discuss                                              the plan and gain direction.  

 

          January 5, 2006        A memo was drafted by CPC to the City Commission                           regarding the Southeast Area and critical issues in                                   the planning area. 

 

January 10, 2006      The City Commission received the memo from the CPC regarding the Southeast Area and critical issues.  The City Commission referred the plan to the City Commission Goals Setting Retreat for discussion.

 

May 22, 2007           The City Commission held a joint study session with County Commission and sent the draft plan back to the Planning Commission with the suggestion of using the land use concept provided by the Peridian Group dated 6/22/05 as a starting point.

 

Project Status 

The City and County Commissions agreed to send the draft of the plan back to the Planning Commission for consideration with the land use concept provided by Peridian as a starting point.

 

Action Request

Initiate a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Horizon 2020, Chapter 14 Specific Plans to add a reference to the Southeast Area Plan.  This CPA will follow the plan through the process and allow for the appropriate Comprehensive Plan Amendment and the plan adoption to happen simultaneously.