Planning commissioners on Wednesday voted to approve a new request from developers of the New Boston Crossing south of town, now slated to include a sports complex.
The plan includes mixed-use development on about 177 acres of land southeast of the Kansas Highway 10 interchange at Iowa Street, south of Lawrence. The plans have undergone multiple variations over the past few years.
The latest iteration of the project would include the Kaw Valley Sports Complex, occupying about 38 acres with space for six full-size turf soccer fields, a 200,000-square-foot building for indoor sports, and parking, concessions and restroom facilities.
It would also include an approximately 14-acre entertainment district; 32 acres of commercial district including a hotel, gas station and restaurants; an apartment complex with 300 to 400 units; and about 70 acres of open space, according to updated documents from developers.
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The approval the developers sought Wednesday was for a comprehensive plan amendment to Plan 2040’s revised southern development plan. It will go next to the Lawrence City Commission and Douglas County Commission for consideration. See more details about the request in the agenda item at this link.
Almost 30 people showed up to give public comment opposed to development in the area, speaking for well more than an hour. Many cited specific concerns about environmental impacts of the proposed development, potential harm to wildlife in the area, the light pollution that would come from the sports complex and more.
Others highlighted the broader history of the land and colonization.
Courtney King, Peoria and Miami, said Lawrence’s Indigenous community has consistently opposed building and developing in the Wakarusa River Valley through advocacy, litigation, marches and more.
“Please honor this history and learn from the oppressive policies and decisions put on the Indigenous community here,” King said. “… This amendment will give way to harming the natural environment and public health and safety while bolstering economic vitality for developers who do not even live here but want to can to want to continue to extract and exploit our community for short-term profits.”
Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission members continued discussing the request for nearly an hour after public comment.
“I can’t think of many other areas where there have been more contentious, divergent thoughts about what should be done with this area, as exemplified by the group that we had here tonight,” planning commissioner Charlie Thomas said. “… This one seems to have touched a nerve.”
They discussed how older comprehensive plans and sector plans that haven’t been updated for years or decades need to be updated more broadly.
However, planning commissioner Gary Rexroad said that “I don’t, though, think that we should hold a request that’s in front of us hostage” to do that work.
Planning commissioners Rexroad, Prasanth Duvvur, Michael Crawford, Bill Wilson and Mike Kelso voted in favor of the comprehensive plan amendment; Chelsi Hayden, Jane Eldredge and Thomas voted against it. Pedro Borroto and Steve Munch were not present for the meeting.
In addition to this request going on to the Lawrence City Commission and Douglas County Commission, there will be other steps, such as rezoning to fall into line with the current iteration of the plans.
The Lawrence City Commission in 2023 approved annexing the land into city limits, and in 2024 approved rezoning requests for the project.
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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.
Note: A name in this post has been corrected.
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