Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning and Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Lynne Braddock Zollner, Historic Resources Administrator
CC:	Scott McCullough, Director PDS Sheila Stogsdill, Assistant Director Planning
DATE:	July 15, 2010
RE:	Proposed Development at 901 New Hampshire Street

Please include the following item on the Future Agenda Memo for the City Commission to consider at the July 27, 2010 meeting.

I. Project Description.

Consider the use of city property located near the southwest corner of 9^th Street and New Hampshire Street pursuant to an easement agreement permitting an outside courtyard/seating area to the benefit of the adjacent property and receive general report on site plan application SP-4-17-10 for a 7-story multi-use building located at 901 New Hampshire Street.

II. Project Description/History.

As part of the Downtown 2000 project, the property located on the west side of the 900 block of New Hampshire Street was replatted as three lots. (See attached plat.)  Due to the proposed development at that time, an easement agreement was recorded to allow for the development of Lot One (not City owned property) to use a portion of Lot Two (City owned property) for specific purposes. (See attached easement.)

On April 1, 2010 the Peridian Group, Inc., submitted a site plan application (SP-4-17-10) on behalf of the owner of Lot One, Downtown 2000 Addition.  This development proposal is for a seven story mixed use structure to be located at the southwest corner of 9^th Street and New Hampshire Street and incorporates the city-owned property as an outdoor seating area/outdoor dining area. A subsequent application was submitted to the Historic Resources Commission for review and compliance with the state preservation law, the Downtown Conservation Overlay District, and Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Lawrence plan.

As part of the review process for the Site Plan application, the applicant must seek approval from the City for use of the recorded easement as identified in the easement document.  In addition, the utility easement located on the property needed to be vacated for the applicant to use this portion of the property (complete).

III. Project Status.

The HRC approved the project on April 15, 2010 subject to approval of the final details of the design by the Architectural Review Committee. The ARC will meet on July 15, 2010 to review the final plans.

The City Commission approved the vacation of the utility easement on May 4, 2010.

The site plan approval is pending submission of final document revisions.

To date, building permits have not been submitted for review.

IV. Project Details. 

In accordance with the legally executed easement filed with the Douglas County Register of Deeds, the City granted an easement to allow the owner of Lot One, Downtown 2000 Addition to use the area described in the easement for an outside open area to be used in conjunction with the building(s) and business activities to be construction on Lot One.  The use of the easement area, however, requires approval by the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence.

The applicant has also submitted a plan for staging the construction of the development that includes a traffic plan. Other details for the project include the determination by the City for the final location of the transit stops on E 9^th Street.

V. Action Request. 

Receive the attached information on the proposed development to be located at 901 New Hampshire Street (Lot One, Downtown 2000 Addition) and approve, if appropriate, the proposed use of city property located near the southwest corner of 9^th Street and New Hampshire Street pursuant to the easement agreement permitting an outside courtyard/seating area to the benefit of the adjacent property.