Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	Thomas M. Markus, City Manager
FROM:	Scott McCullough, Director
DATE:	July 1, 2016
RE:	Monthly PDS Project Report

The following provides an update on several city of Lawrence projects in process in the Planning and Development Services Department.

Comprehensive Plan Update - On August 31, 2015 the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee approved the Issue Action Report which contains the Steering Committee’s findings regarding how to best strengthen the existing plan and ensure that the document reflects the community’s vision, while also setting a foundation for creating the inclusive and sustainable community we want Lawrence and Douglas County to be in the future.  The Issue Action Report presents 19 major issues to address, based on community input and identified needs, and it outlines action steps to help address and resolve these issues.

The Issue Action Report was presented to the Planning Commission on September 21, 2015 and was unanimously approved.  It was presented to the City Commission at their November 10, 2015 meeting and to the County Commission at their November 11, 2015 meeting and was unanimously approved by both governing bodies.  Work on the plan itself is underway through a series of meetings with the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee to review and discuss certain policies.  Information on this effort can be found at http://lawrenceks.org/pds/horizon-2020-update-process.  Jeff Crick is the Staff contact.

East Lawrence Neighborhood Rezoning – On August 18, 2015, after considering a Staff memo on the topic, the City Commission directed Staff to further research land use in the area north of 9^th Street in the East Lawrence Neighborhood and present the Commission with a follow up memo outlining appropriate zoning district(s) and a timeline of the rezoning process in order to consider rezoning much of the area from RM24 to an RS district.  Research and zoning option development is underway on this initiative.  Staff met with the neighborhood on March 28, 2016 to review the data in advance of the City Commission reviewing rezoning options for the area.  The City Commission reviewed options at their May 24 meeting and deferred the item so that Staff can revise the boundaries to include rezoning all properties north of 9^th Street to their current use. The item will be resubmitted to the City Commission after additional research by Staff is completed.  Becky Pepper is the Staff contact.

North Lawrence RS5 Zoning Discussion – On August 18, 2015 and April 19, 2016 the City Commission considered Staff memos addressing a request from the North Lawrence Improvement Association to review RS5 zoning in North Lawrence.  At their April 16, 2016 meeting, the Commission initiated an amendment to the code to require that storm water plans be submitted in conjunction with development projects for RS5 zoned properties in North Lawrence in the areas protected by the levee and also directed Staff to continue to study density and dimensional standards citywide for RS5 and RS3 zoned properties and provide a report to the City Commission at a future meeting. David Guntert is the Staff contact.

Parking Regulations Text Amendment – Staff has been working with the Planning Commission for some time now on revising Article 9 of the Land Development Code related to parking standards. These revisions will address how parking is calculated, the design and location of parking, and standards related to the parking and storing of RVs, boats and trailers.  The Planning Commission received an update on the progress of this item at their November 16, 2015 meeting and discussed alley parking for duplexes at their January mid-month meeting and May 23^rd regular meeting.  This item will submitted for a final recommendation from the Planning Commission upon completion of the final draft of the code revisions.  Sheila Stogsdill is the Staff contact.

Oread Design Guidelines – The Oread Design Guidelines were recommended as one of the initiatives of the Oread Neighborhood Plan, which was adopted in 2010.  Planning staff conducted a public meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at the Lawrence Public Library Auditorium.

The Lawrence – Douglas Co. Planning Commission and the Lawrence Historic Resources Commission had two joint meetings to discuss the Guidelines on Thursday, February 18, 2016 and Monday, March 21, 2016.  Both commissions recommended approval of the guidelines and associated rezoning requests to implement them. 

After the official hearing of March 21, 2016, Staff discovered that the rezoning effort was not properly noticed and a rehearing must be completed before the PC and HRC.  New hearings for the HRC’s and PC’s June and July mtgs have been established and proper notice has been completed.  Jeff Crick and Lynne Zollner are the Staff contacts.

Sign Code Amendments – On July 7, 2015 the City Commission, after receiving a Staff memo on the topic, initiated certain amendments to the sign code to address several issues to aid businesses in the use of signs; however, at that time the Commission directed Staff to delay this project as the Commission considers the applicability of the Property Maintenance Code.  Now that the 2015 Property Maintenance Code and the Urban Agriculture amendments have been adopted, Staff is proceeding with incremental revisions to the sign code.  Kurt Schroeder is the Staff contact.

Community Development Initiatives

The Community Development Division has submitted the 2016 Action Plan to HUD for the grant year beginning August 1, 2016. The City of Lawrence continues to utilize the “Step Up to Better Housing” strategy as the basis for funding decisions made by the Community Development Advisory Committee. Funding in the 2016 grant year will once again focus on five key areas: Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Permanent/Supportive Housing, Revitalized Neighborhoods and Community Facilities.

Community Development Staff continues to support the staffing efforts of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.  Information and agendas can be found at http://lawrenceks.org/boards/affordable-housing/.

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Studies

Transit Comprehensive Operations Analysis

During May, the study team held its first public meeting for the transit study. The study will identify strengths and weaknesses of the existing system and recommend service improvements to improve productivity and serve new and existing riders better. Consultants have completed their onboard counts and are developing system and route profiles for each route for Lawrence Transit and KU on Wheels.  Riders and non-riders are invited to take the online survey, so please provide your input at: www.lawrencetransitstudy.com/survey  Additional meetings are planned for this fall and the study will be completed by the end of the year.

Bike Share Feasibility Study

During June, the study team engaged stakeholders and the community though meetings and tabling events to exploring the feasibility of implementing a bike share system in Lawrence. The engagement included bicycle tours of the Topeka Metro Bike Share and the Bike Walk KC BCycle. The community is invited to take the survey to share their options about bike share and suggest a station location: www.lawrenceks.org/mpo/bikeshare

The MPO is continuing to work on the Regional Pedestrian Plan, the steering committee reviewed drafts of the plan and the public comment period for the draft plan is scheduled for late July.

Jessica Mortinger is the Staff contact.

Small Business

Lawrence Metro E-Community Revolving Loan Fund

The City of Lawrence Metro E-Community Loan Fund is now Accepting Applications.  This program will establish Lawrence’s first revolving loan fund with the purpose of providing the “Urban Entrepreneur” with access to gap financing and economic opportunities.

Who Qualifies?

1. One or more must be applicable to business:
• Businesses located in a distressed area (20%+ live below poverty level),
• Owned by woman, veteran, minority, or someone of disadvantaged status,
• Businesses that currently employ or will employ low-income employees,
• Businesses whose products/service supports disadvantaged/underserved populations,
• Businesses whose mission is to serve disadvantaged/underserved populations.
2. Business must be located in Douglas County or City of Lawrence.
3. Must operate as a for-profit.
4. Business Plan’s shall be reviewed by KU’s Small Business Development Center.
5. Each business will be required to comply with all applicable codes within the City of Lawrence or Douglas County.
6. Applicants that are awarded will need to participate in ongoing technical assistance or Metro E-Community, BizFuel or resource partners entrepreneurial functions with a scholarship or reduced rate.

Download The Lawrence Metro E-Community Details Here: http://lawrenceks.org/pds/small-business .

Next PDS Lunch-N-Learn:  2016 PDS quarterly Lunch-N-Learn Series:

Quarter 3:

Title:  Economic Development 101

Date:  September 23, 2016

Time:  12:00 to 1:00pm

Location:  City Commission Room

Quarter 4:

Title:  BizFuel: Small to Medium Enterprise Support Network

Date:  November 11, 2016

These events are attended by designers, contractors, bankers, realtors, small business professionals, PDS and City Staff. This impactful hour is also eligible to Kansas Chapter of American Institute of Architects to include: 1 hour Health, Safety and Welfare Credit – (HSW) or 1 Hour Self Option Credit. 

BIZFUEL EFFORTS:

BizFuel Small Business Events:

3^rd & 4^th Quarter: 

• Crucial Conversations:  Great for entrepreneurial efforts that include employee engagement, customer service and civic engagement.  This course will teach skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of Small to Medium business.
• State Certification Process: Women-Owned Business Entity, Disadvantaged –Owned Business Entity and Minority-Owned Business Entity

• Kansas Department of Labor

Cyndi Hermocillo-Legg is the Staff contact.