Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

TO:	Dave Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Mary Miller
CC:	Sheila Stogsdill Debbie Van Saun
Date:	October 30, 2006
RE:	November 7, 2006 Agenda Item  PDP-08-08-06: Mercato; N or Hwy 40 & E of Hwy 10

The Preliminary Development Plan for the Mercato Planned Commercial Development was approved by the Planning Commission on September 27, 2006 subject to a number of conditions based on the 1966 City of Lawrence Zoning Ordinance and the Commercial Design Standards and Guidelines. 

Since that time, the applicant has revised the plan to address the conditions of approval. All the required notes have been added and many of the revisions have been made. The applicant addressed all of the conditions of approval, but some of the revisions created issues which must be resolved, or must be further revised. The Preliminary Plan was approved with 35 conditions of approval, many which were minor changes. The revised plan has addressed these conditions and the two remaining conditions of approval which have not yet been satisfied are listed below:

Commercial Design Standards and Guidelines Review. --  Condition No. 2

 “All areas proposed for streetscape treatment must be marked on the plan with dimensions listed to equal 60% of the street frontage.”

 The locations and dimensions have been marked on the revised plan, but some of the markings extend into the interior of the site and give the impression that parking lot screening is being used to meet the streetscape requirements. The details of the streetscape treatment will be decided at the Final Development Plan stage. The plan must be revised to shorten the streetscape area marks so they do not include the parking lot screening.

Commercial Design Standards and Guidelines Review. --  Condition No. 8

“Staff recommends increasing pedestrian access through the parking lot of Lot 1, Block One by either providing two walkways, with one being in the southern portion of the lot or to provide one more centrally located pedestrian accessway which would line up with the crosswalks across Mercato Drive.”

The applicant met this condition by relocating the pedestrian pathway more centrally; however this resulted in the sidewalk ending at the east edge of the parking lot behind the entry feature which prevented it from connecting directly to the sidewalk along Mercato Drive. In the revised plan, the applicant suggested curving sidewalks along Mercato Drive behind the entry feature and incorporating steps to accommodate the grade change.   Staff can not approve this sidewalk configuration as it is not compliant with ADA requirements. The applicant has agreed to revise the plan to remove the sidewalk steps. The sidewalk will be clearly shown on the plan to be continuous and within the right-of-way along Mercato Drive.

Note: The plan which was presented to the Planning Commission showed 3 separate areas of raised and marked pavement, which will slow the flow of traffic and alert vehicles to the possible presence of pedestrians. With the relocation of the pedestrian pathway through the parking lo, the raised pavement areas along the front of the building were combined. The applicant has agreed to divide the raised, marked pavement into separate areas as shown on the plan which was approved by the Planning Commission.