Lawrence city commissioners will hold a public hearing and consider awarding about $750,000 in property tax breaks for a new development providing affordable housing for seniors.
City staff said The Peaks development, located at 5275 W. Sixth St., delivers benefits that can’t be entirely summed up in quantitative studies.
The development will include 42 total units, including 34 affordable units reserved for senior households, which is “likely to have an impact on retaining residents that might otherwise have to find housing outside the community,” according to the meeting agenda.
City commissioners will discuss and vote on a 10-year, 65% property tax abatement. The city would forgo an estimate of $756,561 in property taxes, according to the agenda.
The project has already received a sales tax exemption for construction materials, bringing the total tax rebates to about $788,920.
The development will also receive a low-income housing tax credit from the Kansas Housing Resources Commission. The additional property tax break request was due to higher construction costs and interest rates that made the project infeasible, according to the agenda.
Commissioners will also consider approving a final plan for the Fall Creek Villas, a 14-lot residential project planned near Kasold and Tomahawk drives. The proposal comes more than a year after the commission advanced the preliminary development amid concerns about stormwater impacts and neighborhood opposition.
Commissioners on Tuesday will also review an annual financial report and audit on the city’s finances.
The report from Kansas City-based accounting firm RSM US LLP includes the city’s financial statements and activities for 2024. According to the meeting agenda, auditors found the city fairly presents its financial position in accordance with accounting standards.
The Lawrence City Commission meeting will likely start a bit later than the usual 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5. The commission has three executive sessions scheduled that will likely push the start time to around 5:55 p.m. Commissioners meet at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.
The commission accepts written public comment emailed to ccagendas@lawrenceks.org until noon the day of meetings. The commission also hears live public comment during meetings, both in person and virtually.
City commission meetings are no longer livestreamed on YouTube. In order to watch the meeting online remotely, attendees must join via Zoom at this link, which also allows participants to provide public comment. Meeting recordings are uploaded to the city’s YouTube channel the next day.
See the commission’s complete meeting agenda at this link.
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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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