CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Parks & Recreation public forum scheduled
The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and staff have been working on a public forum to discuss the department’s operations and programming. The forum is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 16, at the Lawrence High School commons. The board and department are looking for citizen input to assist in setting priorities for the department in 2010 and beyond.
The forum will consist of a brief overview of the department and its budget, followed by a short survey and small group discussion. Those unable to attend the forum who have comments are encouraged to contact the Parks and Recreation Administrative Office at 832-3450 or by e-mail at parksrec@ci.lawrence.ks.us.
Notices were sent out to those who have subscribed to City News by e-mail for Parks and Recreation and all city news, which numbers more than 800. Also, more than 7,600 e-mails were sent to patrons of Parks and Recreation services notifying them of the forum. Materials were placed in all LPRD facilities and also on the Web site.
March building permits report
There were 144 permits issued in March 2009, compared to 153 in 2008. Permit valuation was $14,411,989 compared to $6,155,701 last year. Fees were $86,271.48 compared to $48,685.77 last year. One permit was issued for a new single-family dwelling along with two duplex permits, compared to eight single-family and no duplex permits in March last year. The highest valued projects for which permits were issued in March were The Grove apartments at 4301 W 24th Place, valued at $10,355,254, and a CVS Pharmacy at 4841 Bauer Farm Drive valued at $2,486,000. Five permits for new commercial projects have been issued in 2009, compared to two at this time last year, and 11 for the entire year in 2008. Please see the attached memo, full report and summary for more information.
Update on 617 W 4th Street rehabilitation
The City Commission has requested regular updates on the progress of the rehabilitation of 617 W 4th Street. The Commission stayed a demolition order on the property pending satisfactory progress on rehabilitation. Foundation and roof work is in progress, and work expected in the next few weeks includes replacing all other deteriorated structural members which may include floor joists, sub floors and wall studs. Focus should then shift to the porch reconstruction. Please see the attached memo for more information and photos.
City/KU land use cooperation agreement up for review
The City of Lawrence and the University of Kansas have a cooperation agreement concerning the application of certain land use regulations to University-owned property. The agreement includes a review after five years. Staff is reviewing the agreement, and will be meeting with neighborhood associations and KU representatives to assess whether modifications to the agreement are desired (see attached letter to KU).
The Oread project proceeding - redevelopment project costs to-date
On April 9, 2009 the City staff received a submission from The Oread of the first summary of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) eligible expenses for City review. Staff will review the documentation provided and the Redevelopment Agreement requirements and provide a recommendation to the City Commission.
Notifications sent to IG zoned property owners
Following City Commission discussion of permissible uses in the IG zoning district, the city has mailed the attached letter to property owners in IG districts as well as real estate agents and the Chamber of Commerce. The former M-2, M-3 and M-4 districts were all converted to a single zoning district, IG, with the adoption of the 2006 Development Code. The new IG district does not include all uses previously allowed in the M districts, and in some cases may permit additional uses.
Traffic signal upgrades
The Traffic Engineering Division has recently completed upgrades to a number of traffic signals. At 2nd and McDonald a battery back-up was installed (see photos) and at 33rd & Iowa signals were upgraded with flashing arrows and a new control cabinet (see photos). The flashing arrows are a newer signal type and have also been installed at 19th and Louisiana. The attached memo, presented to the City Commission at the time of the 19th and Louisiana installation, explains the functioning of the flashing arrows.