Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

TO:

David Corliss, City Manager

FROM:

Amy Miller, Long-Range Planner

CC:

Scott McCullough, Director of Planning & Development Services

Sheila Stogsdill, Assistant Planning Director

Date:

September 12, 2007

RE:

Ordinance 8097, Chapter 7 of Horizon 2020

 

Background:

This item is for the adoption of a joint City ordinance and County resolution related to CPA-2004-02, amending Chapter Seven – Industrial and Employment Related Land Use in Horizon 2020. The original comprehensive plan amendment associated with this ordinance was approved unanimously by the Lawrence/Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission at their public hearing on November 16, 2005.

 

The City Commission subsequently approved the chapter revisions unanimously on December 6, 2005. The County Commission considered the item at their December 7, 2005 meeting, where consideration was deferred until the Economic Development Board could have a chance to review and comment on the proposed changes. Due to staff changes, the Chamber of Commerce was not contacted until February 2006. The item had been scheduled several times for a hearing before the Economic Development Board; however they did not hold a meeting due to a lack of quorum. The chapter was forwarded to the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the members of the Economic Development Board for their review and comment. No comments were received. The item was rescheduled for a public hearing before the County Commission at their January 8, 2007 meeting where it was unanimously approved. 

 

The joint City ordinance and County resolution was originally scheduled on the April 17, 2007 City Commission agenda for consideration. The Commission indicated that they had received some questions from members of the public and wanted to give staff time to respond to those questions. No questions were ever received and therefore the item was placed on the July 10, 2007 City Commission agenda in order to follow through with consideration of this item in a timely manner. At that meeting, the City Commission deferred consideration of this item so that staff could:

 

1.      Draft alternate language for specific language regarding office space on page 7-10.

2.      Study the addition of industrial and employment areas not presently identified in the chapter.

3.      Study the addition of language that suggests that the locations presently identified within the chapter are not exclusive.

4.      Incorporate specific language related to the involvement of the ECO2 in the process.

 

 

Review:

Staff has studied all four of the issues with the following results:

1.     Draft alternate language for specific language regarding office space on page 7-10.

Currently, the first paragraph under the heading of “Office” on that page reads:

 

“New office uses will generally be restricted to existing commercial areas of the city, including the downtown area.  Currently, there is an abundance of vacant retail and office space in the City of Lawrence that can absorb the demand for leased office space.  However, the City is currently experiencing a shortage of owner-occupied office space.  While this plan makes no new recommendations for such office space, it is anticipated owner-occupied office space could be absorbed into the commercial areas of the city, as well as existing and new office research areas of the community.”

 

      Staff would recommend changing that language to the following:

 

 “New office uses will generally be restricted to existing areas of the city, or new areas that are appropriately identified on future land use maps. Future office uses should not be located in new industrial areas, unless they are part of office research areas.”

 

Staff has revised this language to better meet the intent of this section.

 

2.     Study the addition of industrial and employment areas not presently identified in the chapter.

At the meeting, the City Commission received a request from Barber Emerson, L.C. to incorporate additional sites into the chapter, specifically with respect to a 154 acre site near the intersection of I-70 and K-10. This site was identified through the T2030 future land use process as a future industrial site beyond the year 2030. If staff were to look at incorporating language pertaining to this particular site, and adding this location to the map, then it would involve numerous changes to the chapter. Because of the magnitude of changes, as well as the fact that this is identified through T2030 as occurring beyond the 2030 time frame, staff is of the opinion that this modification would be better suited for a future comprehensive plan amendment to the chapter.

 

3.     Study the addition of language that suggests that the locations presently identified within the chapter are not exclusive.

Staff is of the opinion that this change would not be keeping with the overall intent of the comprehensive plan, and would not be consistent with other chapter’s language. In a typical development request that seeks to develop land in a manner that is not consistent with the comprehensive plan, comprehensive plan amendments have been initiated, if warranted. If the Commission desires, they can initiate a separate comprehensive plan amendment to study this further.

 

4.     Incorporate specific language related to the involvement of the ECO2 in the process.

General language related to the early work of the ECO2 Commission is reflected in the criteria outlined on Pages 7-7 and 7-8.  ECO2, along with staff, does not consider their efforts complete enough to include in this chapter at this time. Staff has been in contact in with ECO2 and plans to assist them with their next phase (see attached letter and ECO2 report). As further work is completed, the City Commission can initiate a comprehensive plan amendment to have this language drafted and incorporated at a later date.  

 

 

 

Action:

The adoption of this ordinance is part of the technical process of amending the comprehensive plan and is the last step in the process of adopting CPA-2004-02. Staff would recommend that the Commission:

 

1.      Adopt the following ordinance on first reading: Joint City Ordinance No. 8097, and County Resolution No. ____, to replace Chapter Seven – Industrial and Employment Related Land Use, in Horizon 2020  with a revised Chapter 7 entitled “Chapter 7 – Industrial and Employment Related Land Use in Horizon 2020, CPA-2004-02 Edition”, and repealing the existing chapter, including the recommend staff change to the first paragraph under the heading “Office” on page 7-10 as outlined above in point number 1.

 

2.      Consider the initiation of any additional comprehensive plan amendments as outlined above in points 2-4, if appropriate.