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Planning Staff |
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January 23, 2006 |
In October of 2004, Brook Creek, Barker and East Lawrence Neighborhood Associations jointly submitted a letter to the City Commission requesting an area plan be developed for an area approximately 500’ in diameter around the abandoned BNSF railroad right-of-way that extends from E. 11th Street to E. 23rd Street. A temporary building moratorium was requested by the neighborhood associations at that same time as the corridor plan. At the October 26, 2004 City Commission meeting, planning staff was directed to proceed with development of a corridor plan for the rail corridor area and the Commission approved the drafting of a one year temporary building permit moratorium [re: Ordinance No. 7841] for the study area. The building permit moratorium ordinance was approved November 16, 2004 and took effect upon its publication date of November 24, 2004.
Planning staff has worked with an appointed committee of representatives over the past twelve months in the development of the Burroughs Creek Corridor Plan. Community representatives on this committee included representatives from: Brook Creek, Barker, and East Lawrence Neighborhood Associations; Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, Bicycle Advisory Committee, Parks Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, industrial businesses along the corridor, and the Parks & Recreation Department. The Committee’s work began with establishing firm boundaries for the corridor’s study area. The Plan’s scope, as outlined in the initial letter from the neighborhood associations, includes the following elements: a recreational trail, linear park, residential infill development, and appropriate adaptive reuses of underutilized industrial and commercial sites. The committee met approximately every two weeks since January 5, 2005. They have held two public meetings for discussion of the corridor plan – one on July 25th and the second on November 10th. The first public meeting was held to present draft plan goals and to receive public comment on these or other general development issues along the corridor. The November public meeting was held to present the draft of the corridor plan and to receive public input on the plan and recommendations in it. Subsequent to the second public meeting, the committee met for a last time on November 14, 2005 to review the public input received, and make additional minor changes.
The final draft of the plan was received and a public hearing was held by the City Commission at their November 29, 2005 meeting. The City Commission received the Plan and forwarded it to the Planning Commission for consideration.
Action Requested