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Planning Staff |
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August 29, 2007 |
The original Southern Development Plan was completed and adopted on March 1, 1994 by the City Commission. The plan is currently thirteen years old and considered out of date. At the November 15, 2006 Planning Commission meeting, the Commission directed the Comprehensive Plans Committee (CPC) to revise and update the Southern Development Plan to direct future land use in the area. The CPC worked to update the plan and expanded the planning area beyond the original boundaries. The new planning area is bounded roughly to the north by W. 31st Street and the properties north of W. 31st Street between Ousdahl Road and Louisiana Street; to the west by E. 1150 Road (Kasold Drive) extended; to the south by the north side of the Wakarusa River; and to the east by E. 1500 Road (Haskell Avenue).
A property owner meeting was held on June 7, 2007 to introduce the first draft of the plan to property owners and interested persons in order to request feedback. Comments regarding the draft were collected and then discussed by the CPC. A second draft was completed and incorporates a number of the comments given at the public meeting. The second draft was posted on the Planning Department website in mid July to allow for the public to view the document and the draft is now ready for Commission action.
The draft Revised Southern Development Plan includes an introduction section, an existing condition section, and a recommendations section. The introduction section provides the background and purpose of the plan, a description of the planning area, and the policy framework for the plan.
The existing conditions section of the plan provides a snapshot of the conditions when the plan was drafted. This section includes descriptions and maps of the current land uses, current zonings, current infrastructure, floodplain, parks and recreation, and transportation facilities.
The recommendation section of the plan provides a description of each of the recommended future land uses, future land use maps, and policies. The future land use descriptions explain the intent of each future land use, identify a density range and intensity, identify where the applicable parts of the planning area are located, recommend zoning districts for the land use, and identify the primary uses within the land use. These descriptions are accompanied by two future land use maps. One shows all conventional zoning and the other shows a mix of conventional zoning and identifies two areas that would be suitable for traditional neighborhood development through the Lawrence SmartCode, if adopted. Both of the future land use maps are to be adopted as part of the plan. The second map is the same as the first map except for the identified TND areas. The second map gives the two identified areas a second land use option.
The recommendations section of the plan also provides policies for the planning area. The policies are grouped into the following categories: general, gateways, commercial, residential, open space/floodplain, landscaping, transportation network and corridors, signage, utilities, and exterior lighting.
Action Requested