Planning commissioners on Wednesday voted to recommend annexing property west of Lawrence Nature Park into city limits for a potential housing development.
A concept plan included in the meeting agenda shows 168 lots for single-family homes; however, that plan is not binding and could change.
The 63.5 acres of land are east of East 1000 Road (Queens Road) and north of North 1700 Road (Peterson Road). Lawrence Nature Park is to the east of the land.
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The red pin on this map indicates the approximate location of the land that would be annexed:
Rezoning requests along with the annexation would break the land up into about 44 acres of low-density residential land (R1 and R2) and 19 acres of open space (P2):
The application came from Landplan Engineering on behalf of Deane R. Holmes Jr., the owner of the property.
The city anticipates that extending the sewer system into the land would cost about $3.5 million, according to the agenda.
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In addition to numerous written comments in the meeting agenda, planning commissioners heard from a handful of members of the public. Some neighbors voiced concerns about taking away the mature forest area and habitat for deer, and the potential for increased water runoff and more traffic in the area.
One neighbor said they respectfully disagreed with the others.
“I think Lawrence desperately needs new lots, and this — the amount of natural space that is being maintained to this is extraordinary compared to any other subdivision that’s ever been approved in Lawrence,” the neighbor said.
Monte Soukup, a member of the affordable housing advisory board, encouraged the planning commission to approve the request. Even if the houses ultimately built on the land aren’t priced affordably, a shortage of all types of housing contributes to the lack of affordable housing citywide, he said.
Planning Commission Vice Chair Jane Eldredge voiced concerns that the developers might seek tax incentives from the city, which could make taxes in the area more expensive for residents who already live nearby. It was also unclear how the costs of extending utilities to the property would be paid.
After discussion, planning commissioners voted to recommend approval of the annexation request and the three rezoning items for the property.
Commissioners Mike Kelso, Steve Munch, Pedro Borroto, Michael Crawford, Gary Rexroad and Bill Wilson voted in favor of the annexation; Eldredge, Chelsi Hayden and Charlie Thomas voted against it.
The Lawrence City Commission will make the final decision on whether to approve the annexation and zoning requests at a future meeting.
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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.
