PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
Regular Agenda – Public Hearing Item
ITEM NO. 3: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT TO HORIZON 2020; AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 8 (RTG)
CPA-3-1-10: REPLACE EXISTING HORIZON 2020 - CHAPTER 8-TRANSPORTATION WITH A NEW CHAPTER THAT REFERENCES THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN APPROVED BY THE LAWRENCE-DOUGLAS COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AS THE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
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STAFF RECOMMENDATION: APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO REPLACE CHAPTER 8 AND INSERT NEW CHAPTER 8 INTO THE HORIZON 2020 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
This new Chapter 8 of the Lawrence-Douglas County Comprehensive Plan does not state transportation policies but instead references the latest MPO approved Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) as amended. This Chapter 8 Amendment simply states that the MTP document constitutes the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. By approving this new Chapter 8 the Lawrence City Commission and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners approve the use of this MTP document as the transportation policy guide for comprehensive planning activities conducted by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning & Development Services Department and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission, and agree to use this document as local and regional policy in their decision-making process.
STAFF REVIEW
The regional transportation planning process conducted in Douglas County by the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (L-DC MPO) and the land use planning activities conducted by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning & Development Services Department (PDS) and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission (L-DC MPC) are related and have been since 1982 when the L-DC MPO was designated. This amendment explains how both transportation planning and land use planning programs for the area are documented in the regional comprehensive plan and improves the coordination between these two planning processes.
The MPO transportation planning process is designed to provide a regional forum for decision-making for the development and operation of a multi-modal transportation system designed to provide safe and efficient mobility for all of the region's residents and businesses. The L-DC MPO covers the entirety of Douglas County including the three smaller cities (Baldwin City, Eudora, and Lecompton) which are not included in this comprehensive plan and may produce their own land use plans.
The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is a major document produced by the L-DC MPO. The MTP sets regional transportation policies, and it articulates goals and objectives for the creation of a multi-modal transportation system that complements land use plans, economic development plans, environmental plans, parks and open space plans, and other comprehensive plan elements for the region. The MTP document is designed to assist state and local government agencies in improving the quality of life for area residents by developing a safe and efficient transportation system.
The MTP has been used by both the City of Lawrence and Douglas County officials for many years in their reviews of land development proposals and the creation of other planning documents like neighborhood and area plans. In practice, the MTP has been used as if it was part of the Lawrence-Douglas County Comprehensive Plan. However, it has not been part of the comprehensive plan nor has it been approved by either the Lawrence City Commission or the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners. The MTP (including the current edition called the Transportation 2030 - Lawrence/Douglas County Long Range Transportation Plan) has only been approved by the L-DC MPO. This is the mismatch between the use of the MTP and its formal approval status. This new Chapter 8 is designed to correct that situation.
It has been both confusing and repetitive to have one transportation plan produced through the MPO process and another transportation plan approved as part of the comprehensive plan adopted by the City and County. Based on its past and present use by City and County staffs and its nature as a regional level transportation policy document which complements land use planning policies stated elsewhere in this comprehensive plan, the MTP should be formally adopted by the City of Lawrence and Douglas County as part of their Comprehensive Plan.
A. Does the proposed amendment result from changed circumstances or unforeseen conditions not understood or addressed at the time the plan was adopted?
YES - when Horizon 2020 was adopted the current transportation plan was Transportation 2020 and now that transportation plan has been superseded by the adoption of the current Transportation 2030 document. This change in circumstance has created differences between Chapter 8-Transportation in Horizon 2020 and the regional transportation plan Transportation 2030 that has lead to confusion. This amendment updates Chapter 8 of Horizon 2020 to bring consistency between those two documents and avoid that confusion.
In addition to making the Horizon 2020 and Transportation 2030 more consistent with each other, there have also been major changes in the MPO composition and operations since Chapter 8 of the Comprehensive Plan was last reviewed and updated. Between 1982 when the Lawrence Area was first designated as an MPO area and the end of 2008 the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission served as the MPO for the region. On December 8, 2008 this changed. On that date the MPO for our area was re-designated to a new group composed of primarily local elected officials and the Planning Commission was no longer serving as the MPO. The Planning commission no longer has the dual roles of being both the land use planning body and the MPO for Lawrence and Douglas County. This is a major change not foreseen when Horizon 2020 was adopted in 1996-98.
B. Does the proposed amendment advance a clear public purpose and is it consistent with the long-range goals and policies of the plan?
YES - this amendment furthers the goal of coordinating land use and transportation system planning throughout the Lawrence-Douglas County Area.
C. Is the proposed amendment a result of a clear change in public policy?
YES - this amendment to Horizon 2020 Chapter 8-Transportation recognizes the changes to public policy represented by the March 26, 2008 adoption of a new transportation plan Transportation 2030.
PROFESSIONAL STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Planning Staff and the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (L-DC MPO) Staff recommend that the Lawrence City Commission and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners approve the use of the latest L-DC MPO approved Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) as amended as the transportation policy guide for comprehensive planning activities conducted by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning & Development Services Department and Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission and agree to use that document as local and regional policy in their decision-making process for all transportation related matters.