Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Office

Memo

To:      Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission

From:  Planning Staff

CC:     Todd Thompson

            Paul Werner

Date: February 8, 2007

Re:      ITEM NO. 5; PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ABERDEEN ON 6^TH (SLD)

The applicant’s representatives met with Planning Staff and Mr. Cory Lang regarding an “alternative plan” last week. The meeting notes are included in the communication packet. The alternative plan has not been formally reviewed by Planning Staff or by any other City review department. The “one-story plan” discussed in Mr. Thompson’s letter was not an item presented to staff.

One topic that was discussed in some detail with staff and the applicant’s representatives was the provision of a controlled access [crash gate]. The applicant’s representative has stated that until they are “required” to provide a restricted method of access the plan has not been revised to show that element. The provision of a controlled access to Stonecreek Drive has been a consistent staff recommendation as a compromise between specific stated neighborhood concerns and standards connectivity recommendations that are recommended by the City Fire Department and through land use planning.

If the Preliminary Development Plan is approved with the recommended conditions then the provision of the controlled access element becomes a requirement upon the City Commission’s action.

Details of the access control gate have not been detailed at this time. At a minimum the location shall occur on private property beyond the public right-of-way. Additionally, the structure and/or control device would be recommended to extend sufficiently across the property so that drivers cannot pull around them thus “curb jumping” to access the local street.

The “alternative plan” was prepared in response to the December 12 City Commission and not any direction by Planning Staff as part of the regular review cycle.