Memorandum

City of Lawrence

TO:	Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM:	David L. Corliss,  Interim City Manager
CC:	Sheila Stogsdill, Debbie Van Saun
Date:	March 23, 2006
RE:	Next Steps beyond adoption of the Development Code

With City Commission approval of the Development Code, it is appropriate to review the status of other related pending items.  It is clear to me that an additional emphasis of attention and resources will be necessary to make positive progress on these items.  In the coming weeks I plan to outline a plan to ensure that these items get the attention that is needed to bring them to timely consideration by the Planning Commission and the City Commission.

≈Finalizing the Development Code with the additional text amendments as outlined in Sheila’s memorandum.  These items will be before the Planning Commission in April, the City Commission in May, with adoption on track.

≈Retail Market Analysis text amendment language and the next phase of the Market Analysis work.  The text amendment language will go to the Planning Commission in April.  The City Commission will also consider authorizing Phase II work from Development Strategies.

≈Subdivision Regulations.  The draft City/County regulations will be considered by the Planning Commission in April.

≈Commercial Design Guidelines.  With the enactment of the Development Code, these guidelines should receive review to ensure their timely consideration and adoption.

≈Access Management Guidelines.  Similarly, these guidelines need additional review, particularly as they impact existing development.   If the City is expected to use these guidelines for regulatory purposes, their formal enactment by the Commission is desired.

≈Cost of Growth Study/ Consideration of Exactions /Impact Fees.   TischlerBise has provided a draft of Phase I.  Additional work and discussion of an appropriate timeframe for this work is desired.

≈Sign Code.  The Development Code will require an ordinance allowing the new zoning categories to be used under the existing Sign Code.  The entire Sign Code needs modernization and improvement and staff will present a plan to accomplish this.

≈Development Policy.  The City’s Development Policy (Resolution No. 5614) needs to be modernized to reflect the new Development Code (for example, sidewalks on both sides of local streets) and to reflect other recent changes which have not been codified (bicycle lanes, traffic calming requirements, special assessment deferrals).  A revised document reflecting these changes is in preparation.

≈”New Urbanism” Issues.  The Commission has also been actively exploring additional land use code alternatives to achieve other values, such as those expressed with new urbanism and similar concepts.  Work on these items should also continue. The commission has a funding request from the Community Design Committee for outside consultant services to assist in the development of a parallel code.

Your staff is committed to ensuring a good transition to the new Development Code on behalf of all stakeholders to these important regulations. We are also committed to working effectively and timely on the items outlined above.  Commission comment and direction on these items or other related items is welcome and encouraged.