Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

 

TO:

Thomas M. Markus, City Manager

Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

FROM:

Amy Miller, Assistant Director - Planning

CC:

Scott McCullough, Director – Planning and Development Services

Date:

September 12, 2018

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.

 

Notable Development Projects in the Planning Phase:

The following list details notable and large development projects that have filed applications with the Planning Division:

 

·         LMH Health West (Northeast corner 6th and SLT)

·         Grocery/Residential Mixed-Use (700 New Hampshire Street)

·         Logie’s (728 Massachusetts Street)

·         Multi-Family Structure (929 Arkansas Street)

·         Hawker II Apartments (1011 Missouri Street)

·         Climate Controlled Mini-Storage (1300 Block Research Park Drive)

·         Fairfield Apartments (2115 Exchange Court)

·         Bishop Seabury Academy – Addition (4120 Clinton Parkway)

·         Zoning to accommodate CC200 (2110 Exchange Ct)

·         Hi-Tech Interiors Warehouse (725 N 2nd St)

·         Garage Condos (3661 Thomas Ct)

·         Casey’s General Store (1703 W 6th)

·         Resteraunt (900 Mississippi St)

·         Woof’s-Dog Day Care (1519 W 23rd St)

·         Kansas Zen Center (1200 Laura Ave)

·         Wagmore Canine Enrichment (1735 Haskell Ave)

·         Yankee Tank Brewery (807 E 23rd St)

·         Heritage Tractor (1110 E 23rd St)

 

Comprehensive Plan Update – On July 16, 2018 the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee approved the release of the draft Comprehensive Plan for the Planning Commission, City Commission, and Board of County Commissioners consideration.  Using the Issue Action Report as a basis, which was unanimously approved by all 3 commissions, the Steering Committee reviewed the draft plan in the context of that report and the public input received as part of their process.  The next steps for the draft Comprehensive Plan include public hearings before the Planning Commission, City Commission, and Board of County Commissioners.  The three commissions are scheduled to receive a presentation on the draft plan on October 19th, 2018, beginning at 12:00 p.m., in the City Commission Room.  The Planning Commission will be the first commission to review and consider the draft plan at their November meeting.  Dates for each hearing will be announced as they are scheduled.   Information on this effort can be found at https://lawrenceks.org/pds/comp-plan/. Jeff Crick is the staff contact.

 

Short Term Rental Uses – On August 15, 2017, the City Commission directed staff to pursue a framework to regulate properties being used as short-term rentals. Staff conducted an extensive public participation program and presented findings to the City Commission at their November 14, 2017 work session. Staff drafted a text amendment to permit short-term rental units, which was recommended by the Planning Commission at their May 23rd meeting.  The City Commission will consider the text amendment and licensing program at their September 18th meeting. Danielle Buschkoetter is the staff contact.  You can find more information at https://lawrenceks.org/short-term-rentals/. 

 

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. The code was revised on July 19, 2016 to require a storm water plan for any residential construction project on RS5 and RS3 zoned lots that are protected by the levee.  The Commission 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.  The analysis of RS5 zoning density and dimensional standards is underway. Becky Pepper 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, 2016 regular meeting.  This item will submitted for a final recommendation from the Planning Commission upon completion of the final draft of the code revisions.  Mary Miller is the staff contact.

 

Downtown Master Plan - Through the City’s strategic planning process, the City Commission identified a priority initiative of creating a Downtown Master Plan that includes identifying needed and desirable assets, identifying existing infrastructure and uses, and discovering potential uses and obstacles in response to the critical success factor of Economic Growth and Security. The desire is to create a sustainable plan that recognizes the existing successful nature of downtown and enhances downtown by incorporating innovative and creative initiatives through intensive stakeholder and community input. The plan will explore all elements of a master plan including, but not limited to, land use relationships, opportunities for development and redevelopment, programing of public space, landscaping, transportation, infrastructure and streetscape, with a heavy emphasis on cultural and historical resources and activities.

 

Through a Request for Proposal process, the city has hired Houseal Lavigne Associates as the consultant to lead, manage and write the plan. Staff is in the beginning stages of working with the consultant to lay out a project timeline, and a project kickoff is to be expected near the end of October. A Steering Committee has also been established (https://lawrenceks.org/boards/downtown-master-plan/) and appointments are currently being made from the various groups. Staff is working with the consultant to get a new and improved project website live and that can be expected in the next few weeks. The project website can be viewed here: https://lawrenceks.org/strategic-plan/downtown/ and is also the place to sign up to receive email updates throughout the process.  Amy Miller is the staff contact.

 

Community Development Initiatives

The Community Development Division is currently in the 2018 CDBG and HOME program year in accordance with the 2018 Action Plan.

 

The 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan and the 2018 Annual Action Plan have been approved by HUD. The Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) will hold a public hearing on September 27, 2018 regarding public input for the upcoming 2019 program year and for the 2017 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER).  The 30-day public comment period for the 2017 CAPER will begin on September 20, 2018.  The CAPER will be due to HUD by October 31, 2018

 

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/ .

 

Danelle Dresslar is the staff contact.

 

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Studies

 

Countywide Bikeway Plan Update

The Countywide Bikeway Plan will reconcile the various bicycle related plans into one vision for the future of bikeway infrastructure in Lawrence-Douglas County. The purpose of this plan is to develop a low-stress bicycle network that can make bicycling an attractive choice for transportation.  MPO Staff and the MPO BAC held 5 open houses, 3 guided bike rides, and 18 mobile meetings since the first phase of public engagement began in late May thru the end of August. The second phase of public engagement will begin in October and a joint study session of the MPO BAC and the Lawrence Transportation commission is planned for the November 28th Transportation Commission Study Session at 3:30pm in the City Commission Room. More information can be found online at: https://lawrenceks.org/mpo/bicycle_planning/

 

23rd St Multi-Modal Corridor Study

KDOT awarded $80,000 of Competitive Consolidated Planning Grant (CPG) funding to 23rd St Multi-Modal Corridor Study (Learnard Avenue to eastern City Limits). The study requires a $20,000 local match. This study will develop a vision and implementation strategy for 23rd Street: Learnard Street to the eastern city limits, providing an opportunity for the public to reimagine the street for comfortable and inviting multimodal transportation. The removal of the state highway designation, the passage of the City complete streets policy, the crash history, and the multimodal vision of Transportation 2040 warrants a study of 23rd Street before reconstruction of 23rd Street from the Haskell Bridge to 600’ east of Anderson Ave. Lawrence’s CIP has this project beginning with design in 2020 and construction in 2021-22. This visioning process will provide the basis for the design, which will be included in the scope of work at a local expense. The study is planned for 2019.

 

Bike Share Implementation

The City of Lawrence signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Veoride to implement bike share in Lawrence following the agreement that KU established with Veoride (www.veoride.com/ku).  KU’s interest in Bike Share was motivated by the MPO’s 2016 Bike Share Feasibility Study process (https://lawrenceks.org/mpo/bikeshare/). MPO staff will track usage and follow how bike share implementation impacts mode share.

 

Jessica Mortinger is the staff contact.