Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

TO:	Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM:	Planning Staff
CC:	Dave L. Corliss, City Manager Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
Date:	12/6/07
RE:	Lawrence SmartCode – Adoption Process Initiation

On November 6, 2007 the City Commission was asked to initiate the public hearing process of considering the Lawrence SmartCode.  The Commission deferred the request until revisions, then being worked on by staff, were made available to the City Commission and the public.  These revisions were completed and the revised draft was posted to the City’s website on November 14, 2007, with notice being sent to stakeholders and individuals requesting such.

As the City Commission’s direction has been implemented, staff is requesting that the City Commission proceed with the adoption process for the Lawrence SmartCode.  A number of items will need adoption in order for the Lawrence SmartCode to begin being used as a development option in Lawrence.  Those items are listed below along with the actions requested of the City Commission to begin the adoption process.  Also included in this memo is a timeline for adoption, a historical timeline of the Lawrence SmartCode and highlights of the revised Lawrence SmartCode.

Comprehensive Plan Amendments

Two Comprehensive Plan Amendments will be part of the adoption process for the Lawrence SmartCode.  Staff is requesting that the City Commission initiate the public hearing process for the following Comprehensive Plan Amendments:

CPA-2007-6 Amend Horizon 2020 by creating Chapter 15 – Place Making to ensure proper comprehensive plan language is in place for the proposed Lawrence SmartCode in the City of Lawrence.

CPA-2007-7 Amend Horizon 2020, Chapter 14 Specific Plans, to add a reference to the Lawrence SmartCode Infill Plan.

Text Amendment

TA-11-24-07 Adoption of the Lawrence SmartCode

The proposed Lawrence SmartCode will be adopted by Ordinance and will become Chapter 21 of the City Code.  Staff is requesting that the City Commission initiate the public hearing process for this text amendment.

Drafts of these items, including a summary of changes to the draft Lawrence SmartCode, can be found online at: http://www.lawrenceplanning.org/

Timeline for Adoption

If initiated, staff will take the items listed above to the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission for public hearing review in January, 2008.  It is anticipated that the City Commission will receive these items in February, 2008.  The Board of County Commissioners will be asked to approve the comprehensive plan amendments, but not the Lawrence SmartCode, also in February, 2008. 

Historical Timeline of the Lawrence SmartCode

• November 21, 2006 – City Commission authorizes the contract with PlaceMakers, LLC for services to create a parallel TND development code.
• January 4 and January 5, 2007 – Two public meetings were conducted to discuss the SmartCode.
• January 31, 2007 – SmartCode Charrette opening presentation public meeting.
• February 1, 2007 – Public meetings and studio public drop-in hours.
• February 2, 2007 – Public meetings, studio public drop-in hours, and a public pin-up presentation.
• February 3, 2007 – Studio public drop-in hours.
• February 4, 2007 – Studio public drop-in hours.
• February 6, 2007 – Final presentation public meeting.
• May 17, 2007 – First draft of Lawrence SmartCode posted on-line.
• June 21, 2007 – Lawrence SmartCode public meeting.
• September 12, 2007 – Lawrence SmartCode presentations at the Planning Commission Mid-Month Meeting (City Commissioners invited) and Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Lawrence SmartCode

The following bullet points are highlights of the Lawrence SmartCode:

• A rezoning action is required to utilize the optional Lawrence SmartCode.  This is the same process used under the Lawrence Development Code with a public hearing by the Planning Commission for a recommendation and action by the City Commission.
• All other applications under the Lawrence SmartCode, except for the acceptance of dedications and easements of Preliminary Plats, will be processed administratively by the Consolidated Review Committee (CRC).
• Preliminary Plats will be submitted to the City Commission for acceptance of dedications and easements.
• As currently proposed, the CRC is comprised of a representative from: Planning and Development Services, Fire, Parks, Public Works, Utilities, and 2 members of the Lawrence Planning Commission.
• Article 3 governs Greenfield development.
• Article 4 governs Infill development.
• Article 5 governs lot and building scale plans.  This article contains setback, height, parking, landscaping, architectural and signage standards for each Transect Zone.
• Table 1 describes the Transect Zones, the zones by which development is organized under the Lawrence SmartCode. 
• Table 3C provides thoroughfare assemblies.
• Table 14 is the key table for the Lawrence SmartCode.  A number of standards for the Transect Zones are found in this table.  It includes the allocation of Transect Zones by community type, minimum base densities, maximum block sizes, and public frontages.

Action

Staff recommends that the City Commission initiate changes to Horizon 2020 through CPA-2007-6 and CPA-2007-7, if appropriate.  Staff also recommends initiating TA-11-24-07 for adoption of the Lawrence SmartCode, if appropriate.  Planning staff will take the proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendments and the Text Amendment for the Lawrence SmartCode to Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission for review and a public hearing in January, 2008.