The Lawrence City Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday evening to approve a rezoning request to allow for developers to build a two-story, 24-unit apartment building near West Third and Michigan streets.
The property is a little more than 1 acre on the southwest corner of that intersection near Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
The developer and owner of the property is LMK Homes LLC. Linc Mortenson, owner of LMK, hired Landplan Engineering to do civil engineering and site plan work for the property.
Corby Rust of Landplan Engineering told commissioners he was able to create a two-story, L-shaped building for the L-shaped property in site plans. It will have 12 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units, according to the plans.
He said parking is internalized, and the entrances and exits are onto Third Street and Florida Street as opposed to the busier Michigan Street. The project would also add sidewalks along Third and Florida.
Rust said he was able to find 39 other multifamily buildings that already exist mixed into single-family residential areas, “so the project fits within the neighborhood.”
“In my eyes, it’s a fair buffer between the hospital and the single-family (homes),” Rust said.
Four planning commissioners in March voted for approval of the rezoning request, and four voted against it.
Several neighbors and a representative of the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods submitted written public comment to the commissioners, asking them to deny the project. About 20 people altogether spoke to the commission, roughly one-fourth in favor of the upzoning.
Opponents shared concerns about increased traffic in the neighborhood and said the increased density wouldn’t fit into the neighborhood. Some cited concerns about losing green space in the area and the potential to negatively impact wildlife.
People in favor of the project raised the issue of Lawrence’s housing shortage, and the lack of affordable housing within the city. Some said the complex could be ideal housing for nurses employed at nearby LMH Health.
“For me, as a person who would like to see this land developed near one of our largest employers in our community with the type of housing that will serve the type of people that need it the most, I feel like this is an opportunity for us to walk the walk on density,” Mayor Mike Dever said.
The rezoning request passed 3-2 with Dever, Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Commissioner Amber Sellers in favor. Commissioners Bart Littlejohn and Lisa Larsen were opposed.
Note: This post has been corrected from a previous version.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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