PC Minutes 11/28/07

ITEM NO. 13: FARMLAND INDUSTRIES REDEVELOPMENT PLAN (DDW)

Consider approval of the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan.

ITEM NO. 14: CPA-2007-5 (DDW)

CPA-2007-5: Consider amending Horizon 2020, Chapter 14 Specific Plans, to add a reference to the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan and authorize the Chair/Vice-Chair to sign PC Resolution 2007-07.

STAFF PRESENTATION

Mr. Dan Warner presented items 13 and 14 together.

Commissioner Lawson inquired about the term Employment Center on the map.

Mr. Warner said it was changed to reflect the Chapter 7 text.

Commissioner Eichhorn said that a possible future By-Pass should be identified.

Mr. Warner said he talked to the City Senior Transportation Planner who was not concerned about any future By-Pass going through the path.

PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEMS 13 AND 14

Ms. Jane Eldredge, Barber Emerson LLC, asked what a Redevelopment Plan was.

Mr. Warner stated that in the hierarchy of plans amending into Horizon 2020, it would be a special issue plan.

Commissioner Harris asked where it fell in comparison to an area plan.

Mr. Warner said that in the hierarchy of plans it is not less important than an area plan, it is just a special issue plan.

Commissioner Eichhorn inquired about commercial use.

Mr. Warner said the plan did not say that there could not be commercial on the site but it does limit it to what is appropriate to serve the site.

Ms. Beth Johnson, Chamber of Commerce, gave overview of the market. She stated that there have been about 62 recruitment companies that have come to Lawrence in the past year. One of the main problems was lack of suitable land space. Lack of available land or buildings have been why companies decide not to come to Lawrence. She stated that they only had three sites in their inventory and one of them was along the retail corridor so they would not put industrial along there. Another site was south of Hwy 59 and the SLT, but access was not great at this point. That leaves only one site, by East Hills Business Center. That site would need to be 5 feet higher to get out of the 500 year floodplain so the site was not ready. She stated that in order to have a great site, there needed to be redundancy of utilities. She also stated that they needed sites of varying sizes. She felt that the Farmland site was a great location because of its access to K-10, but it did not have I-70 access. She said the completion of the SLT was important to the site as well. She also felt it was important to pay attention to the entrance of the park because East Hills Business Park and Farmland might become one someday.

Commissioner Eichhorn asked how many large acre sites could fit.

Mr. Warner said that roughly 300 acres was dedicated to employment uses. He said that that probably just two sites could fit, but possibly three sites in combination with the East Hills Business Park.

Commissioner Eichhorn asked how important access to I-70 was.

Ms. Johnson replied that it was important for distribution uses.

Commissioner Blaser asked about the intermodal impacts.

Ms. Johnson said that railroad needs increasing because most demands were for the railroad, not truck access.

Commissioner Eichhorn asked if the 87 acre site near East Hills Business Park was above the 2’ freeboard.

Ms. Stogsdill said that they were going to look into raising it 4’ across the entire 87 acres.

Ms. Johnson said that she would just like to raise the pad site, not the entire acreage, so that the water would not drain to the neighbors.

Commissioner Harkins said that if the SLT was complete there would be access to I-70.

Ms. Johnson said their main focus would be completion of the SLT.

COMMISSION DISCUSSION

Commissioner Finkeldei felt it was an important plan for the city and they should make sure that there was enough space for industrial.

Commissioner Eichhorn asked about text regarding park trails through the site.

Mr. Warner said it was in a couple different places. The Open Space category talked about it and also in the transportation section.

Commissioner Lawson inquired about the implementation.

Mr. Warner said the plan is neutral on ownership of the property. The City is going through the complicated bankruptcy proceedings to purchase it. It would not be developed until someone owned the property that was interested in redeveloping it.

Commissioner Finkeldei asked if the bankruptcy court had put it up for sale yet.

Mr. Warner replied, no.

Commissioner Finkeldei said he was under the impression that the City would be one of the bidders for the property.

Commissioner Lawson inquired about commercial use and why it was not located on the map.

Commissioner Eichhorn said it was not placed on the map yet since they did not know where the placement of the buildings would be.

ACTION TAKEN ON ITEM NO. 13

Motioned by Commissioner Finkeldei, seconded by Commissioner Moore, to approve the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan and forward the plan to the City and County Commissions for approval.

Unanimously approved 9-0.

ACTION TAKEN ON ITEM NO. 14

Motioned by Commissioner Finkeldei, seconded by Commissioner Harris, to approve the comprehensive plan amendment to Horizon 2020 by amending Chapter 14 - Specific Plans to add a reference to the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan for the City of Lawrence and unincorporated Douglas County and recommends forwarding this comprehensive plan amendment to the Lawrence City Commission and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation for approval.

Unanimously approved 9-0.

Motioned by Commissioner Finkeldei, seconded by Commissioner Harris, to approve and sign Planning Commission Resolution 2007-03.

Unanimously approved 9-0.