Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the replacement of the Conservation of Historic Resources Code with an updated version.
Lawrence established the historic resources code as article 33 of the city code in 1988. This chapter, designed to conserve historic resources, mandated a review every five years. However, it had not been reviewed since its inception.
In 2014, the Historic Resources Commission was advised to assess and suggest changes. A subcommittee identified significant modifications, leading to a complete revision proposal.
The biggest changes in the revised chapter encompassed aspects such as allowing administrative review for most projects and streamlining the approval process with added flexibility and emergency procedures.
In July 2023, the Historic Resources Commission held a public hearing, approved the revised chapter and forwarded it to the Lawrence City Commission for consideration.
“It may not be exactly what we want, or what I want, or what the community wants, but progress is important,” Vice Mayor Mike Dever said. “Perfection is very difficult to achieve, but I think this is real progress.”
The commission also unanimously approved adding two places to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places: the Historic Kansas River Bridge Stone Pier and the Henry Waters House at 1124 New Jersey St.
A primary goal of the Historic Resources Commission is to create a diverse and comprehensive Register of Historic Places in Lawrence, representing the city’s growth, history, and socioeconomic diversity.
The HRC voted unanimously to nominate both locations for the register of historic places.
You can read more about the pier here and more about the house here.
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
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