MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW

Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan

Origin of Plan

The planning process for the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan was initiated by the Lawrence City Commission in early 2007.  Final approvals occurred in late 2007 and early 2008.  The area is now known as Lawrence VenturePark. Below is a synopsis of the timeline history for the plan and property.

· 1954 Fertilizer facility opened.

· 1984 Farmland purchases facility.

· 2001 Farmland ceases operation.

· 2004 Farmland filed for bankruptcy and trust was formed to address the environmental issues.

· 2004 Resolution No. 6528: City Commission did not wish for the property to be annexed until remediated.

· 2008 Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan is adopted by the three governing bodies.

At the time of the plan’s creation, the site had been inactive since Farmland Industries’ closure in 2001.  A Site Characterization Report was completed for the site in 2006, of which a major conclusion of that report was that a significant portion of the property was determined to be suitable for reuse in its present state. The purpose of the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan brings together the community goals of creating additional employment and open space by providing a plan to redevelop a brownfield into a major community asset.  This plan is intended to act as the City’s official land use guide for Farmland Industries redevelopment. 

This plan is incorporated into Horizon 2020, Chapter 14: Specific Plans.  Additional Policy guidance is also provided by the Site Characterization Report Former Farmland Industries Plant, Lawrence, KS.

Planning staff developed a draft plan with input from other city departments.  The draft plan was made available for public review for a period of approximately one month.  Staff made changes to the draft plan based on comments received and produced a final draft.  The Planning Commission unanimously approved the plan on November 28, 2007.  The City Commission also unanimously approved the plan at their March 11, 2008 meeting.  The Board of County Commissioners approved the plan on March 31, 2008.

Expected outcomes from the plan

Many of the action items from this plan are anticipated to be conducted as the property develops.  The plan specifically covers redevelopment strategies for the following topics, and lists the anticipated parties involved in the action steps:

· Environmental: The portions of the property that still need remediation will need to be addressed before redevelopment can occur.  The independent trust fund, FI Kansas Remediation Trust, contains money dedicated for future remediation activities on the site. 

· Demolition:  Some of the processing equipment and buildings still existed on the site when Farmland closed in 2001.  Demolition of the remaining structures, concrete pads and foundations were to be removed. 

· Transportation: The property is bordered by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and also by K-10 Highway.  The multi-modal aspect of the property is an advantage for future development.  This includes extending roads through the site, extending bicycle facilities through the site, and providing safe access to the property from K-10 at Franklin Road.

· Natural Features: There were areas that remained undeveloped with mature tree stands and natural contours of the land.  Steep slopes occur in the northwest section and there is a sandstone bluff overlooking the Kansas River Valley.  An identified goal is to maintain open space needs of the community as the property develops.

· Surrounding Land Uses: Future development is addressed in the plan with specific listed land use requirements for development with a future land use map. As part of the plan, design guidelines and standards are listed to guide the development. This future land use plan only supports commercial uses necessary for the long-term redevelopment of the property.  In addition, residential uses are not permitted.

· Infrastructure:  Water, wastewater and stormwater utility needs are noted in the plan to ensure adequate system capacity before providing public utility service to the property. Also, the plan noted the need to construct regional detention basins as needed during development of the property.

Identified Employment Goal:  Create an area that will further the City’s efforts to promote additional employment opportunities for economic development and tax base expansion.

Identified Land Use Goal: Redevelop the Farmland Industries property to support the employment and open space needs of the community.

Identified Public Infrastructure Goal: provide ongoing improvement of infrastructure and public facilities that will facilitate the redevelopment of the Farmland Industries property.

Expectations for value and performance are addressed by recommending the plan be revisited every 5 years for evaluation, with the expectation that completion will be carried out as the property develops.

Funding

Not applicable

Status Update

Many of the key action items for the preliminary steps were completed by the City in its course to ready the property for future development.  These included annexation (completed in 2009), platting (completed in 2013) rezoning to the property to industrial zoning (completed in 2012), and providing transportation connections (completed in 2014). 

Future

There are currently no proposed next steps.  The expectation is that completion of this plan will be carried out as the property develops, which will be addressed under the plan’s policy guidelines.  There are currently no changes to the plan under discussion.