Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Attorney’s Office

TO:	Thomas M. Markus, City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
	Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager
	Ernie Shaw, Interim Director Parks & Recreation
FROM:	R. Scott Wagner, Management Analyst
CC:	Toni Wheeler, City Attorney Scott McCullough, Director – Planning & Development Services
DATE:	May 25, 2016
RE:	Baldwin Creek Trail Project

Project Description

A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant was awarded to the Parks & Recreation Department to assist in funding a .7-mile recreation path which will start at Rock Chalk Park and heads northeast along the Baldwin Creek until it meets Queens Road. The construction bid for this project was awarded at the March 29, 2016 City Commission meeting.

Property Acquisition

In order to construct the trail, two easements that were originally obtained in 2007 with the installation of the Baldwin Creek sanitary sewer interceptor project, are being modified (Finney Map, Compton Farms Map).  The two property owners have executed revised pedestrian and recreation path easements (see attached map – Book 1135, Page 2062 and Book 1135, Page 2066).  On March 29, 2016 authorization for the City to file a vacation petition with the county to vacate the prior pedestrian and recreation path easements on these two tracts was granted.  The sanitary sewer portion of the 2007 easements will remain and will not be vacated (see attached map).  The City filed the attached vacation Petition with the county on May 23, 2016.  The vacation hearing will be held before the Board of Douglas County Commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting on July 6, 2016 at 4 p.m.  Pursuant to K.S.A. 58-2613, notice must be provided to the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence and to the Lawrence Douglas-County Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Action Requested

Receive Notice of the July 6, 2016 hearing before the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, to vacate certain Greenspace, Pedestrian and Recreational Path Easements on tracts owned by Rebecca J. Finney, Trustee and Compton Farms, LLC., and provide copy of the Notice to the Lawrence Douglas-County Metropolitan Planning Commission.