Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Mary Miller, Planning Staff
CC:	Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Scott McCullough, Planning & Development Services Director
Date:	February 21, 2008
RE:	Sensitive Area Site Plan for The Links at Lawrence

Per Section 20-1101(e) of the Development Code a sensitive area site plan must be submitted prior to development on tracts or portions of tracts of land where sensitive features identified in the Code exist. The Code identifies the following features as environmentally sensitive: floodways, floodplains, jurisdictional wetlands, stream corridors (with the exception of intermittent streams), stand of mature trees or individually significant mature trees, prominent geographic features with rocky outcroppings and archaeological and historic sites [Section 22-1101(d)(2)].

The Code does not contain information as to the contents or format of the sensitive area site plan. A text amendment is being drafted by Staff to clarify the sensitive area site plan requirements.

In the absence of clear guidance within the Code, Staff worked with the applicant to develop a sensitive area site plan which shows the existing features, both those that are currently identified by the Code as environmentally sensitive and those that could also be considered sensitive (steep slopes and intermittent stream). The environmentally sensitive areas shown on the site plan are the areas that were considered sensitive during the pre-application meetings and the development of the Preliminary Development Plan. The site plan shows the areas being preserved with the development as both natural open space and open recreational space.