Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Scott McCullough, Director
CC:	Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
Date:	August 21, 2008
RE:	Text amendment request regarding rental car agencies

On August 18, 2008 the City received a letter from American Real Estate & Investments, Inc. requesting that the governing body initiate a text amendment to permit Light Equipment Sales/Rental, which includes rental car agencies, as a permitted use in the CN-2 zoning district and to clarify that this use includes an accessory wash bay and storage of vehicles onsite.

This request stems from a meeting staff held with the requester to discuss options when they approached staff with the desire to locate a rental car agency on a property zoned CN-2.  The CN-2 zoning district does not permit this use.  The Light Equipment Sales/Rental use is permitted in the CC, CR, CS, IL, and IG districts and with a Special Use Permit in the CD district.  Options discussed included seeking a property that has the zoning to permit the use, requesting to rezone the property to a district that includes this use, or seeking a text amendment to determine if this use is compatible with other uses in the CN-2 district.

The requester chose to request initiation of the text amendment.  Staff recommends initiating the text amendment so that staff and the planning commission can analyze its merits and submit a recommendation to the governing body for consideration.