ITEM NO. 11 CPA-2004-02 (AAM)
CPA-2004-02: Consider revision to a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Horizon 2020, Chapter 7: Industrial and Employment Related Land Use.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Ms. Amy Miller presented the item. She recommended approval with two staff changes.
Commissioner Harris asked why the Industrial Committee removed prime farm land from the locational criteria.
Ms. Miller said that the sentiment of the Industrial Committee was that it should be removed from the general locational criteria partly because it would be a complete change in how it has been handled in other chapters of Horizon 2020. She went on to say that part of the problem was defining prime agricultural farmland and that the Committee felt that it did not lend itself very well to general locational criteria.
Commissioner Moore said that the Committee spent about two months trying to fully define what it was. He did not feel it was consistent to have it in the Industrial Chapter when it was not in the other chapters.
PUBLIC HEARING
Ms. Jane Eldredge, went over the issues she wrote a letter about that was included in the Planning Commission online packet.
Mr. Charles NovoGradac, of Chestnut Orchard, discussed his concerns regarding prime farmland.
Ms. Nancy Thellman, discussed UGA boundaries. She asked for the language in Chapter 7 to be kept regarding prime farmland. She agreed with Charles NovoGradac’s letter. She also said that if they want developers to see environmental issues it should be easily found in one place instead of thinking that people will cross reference.
Ms. Marguerite Ermeling, suggested some wording changes.
Ms. Gwen Klingenberg, Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, felt that protection of prime farmland should be added to all chapters of Horizon 2020. She said that the Farmer Turnpike/I-70 interchange was a gateway to Lawrence and felt that the word ‘gateway’ should be added to all chapters. She expressed concerns regarding infrastructure cost.
Ms. Barbara Clark, Grant Township resident, expressed concerns. She felt that the definition of prime farmland should be narrowed in scope.
Ms. Betty Lichtwardt, League of Women Voters, expressed concerns about the effects of industrial use on growth. She was concerned about residential sprawl.
Mr. Michael Almon, Sustainability Action Network, expressed concerns regarding sustainability of the food network.
COMMISSION DISCUSSION
Commissioner Finkeldei inquired about the significance of gateway language.
Ms. Miller read the language from Transportation 2030 for the K-10/I-70 site that says in the future the area will be an important gateway to the City.
Mr. McCullough stated that there are no special standards for gateways.
Commissioner Harris felt that it might be premature to identify K-10/I-70 when the project is not a done deal at this time.
Commissioner Hird asked about the last sentence of the I-70 description.
Ms. Miller said the intent in the future is to use it as a park or work/live campus type setting.
Commissioner Finkeldei felt that language regarding prime farmland should be in the front of Horizon 2020 instead of every chapter.
Commissioner Lawson said there is a big gap in understanding the definition with respect to the specificity of the two soils. Soil classes were established many years ago with a very scientific approach. He felt that the soil has real true economic value.
Commissioner Finkeldei said he was not struggling with protecting prime farmland, the issue was where to put it, as general or specific criteria.
Commissioner Hird was frustrated by all the different definitions and maps for prime farmland. He said that prime farmland was important to the community. He also expressed concern about excluding consideration of any particular site.
Commissioner Blaser felt that industrial land was needed but that soil needed to be included in site specific criteria. He agreed with Commissioner Hird’s frustrations.
Commissioner Finkeldei said that if the goal is to protect prime farmland from development, the way to do that is not to define it in Horizon 2020, but rather add prime farmland to the Development Code.
Commissioner Eichhorn said that they do not follow all the policies in Horizon 2020, it is a general guideline. If the emphasis is on prime farmland then it needs to be put it in as many places as possible.
Commissioner Harris felt that interfacing language should be added to overall arching goals. She liked the goal of I-70 and K-10 being a campus but assumed that zoning would trump that goal.
Motioned by Commissioner Finkeldei, seconded by Commissioner Moore, to approve and forward to City Commission the amendment to Horizon 2020, Chapter 7 – Industrial and Employment Related Land Use and authorize the chair to sign PC Resolution 2008-04 regarding this amendment, as proposed with the following changes:
“The preservation of high-quality agricultural land, which has been recognized as a finite resource that is important to the regional economy, has been a substantial topic in the community. High-quality agricultural land is generally defined as available land that has good soil quality and produces high yields of crops. Within Douglas County these are capability class (non-irrigated) 1 and 2 as identified by the National Resources Conservation Service.”
“e. be located outside prime agricultural farmland as defined by United States Department of Agriculture.”
Commissioner Hird made an amendment to replace the last sentence of the I-70 and K-10 paragraph on p. 7-7 with the following sentence taken from the last sentence in the paragraph under the K-10 and Highway 40 section on p. 7-7: ‘Over time, as this area develops, it will serve as a gateway to the City of Lawrence and would best be suited for Warehouse and Distribution uses, Industrial uses, Work-live Campus type centers and Industrial/Business/Research parks.’ This amendment is in place of Comm. Finkeldei’s change to the I-70 and K-10 paragraph mentioned in the main body of the memo.
Commissioner Finkeldei agreed to Commissioner Hird’s amendment and also suggested a revision to staff’s change regarding the 2nd to last paragraph on p. 7-8. The revision changes the first sentence in that paragraph to say “The preservation of high-quality agricultural land, which has been recognized as a finite resource that is important to the regional economy, is of important value to this community.”
Commissioner Moore seconded the amendments.
Motion carried 7-2 with Commissioners Blaser and Harris in opposition.