Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board is looking at vacant lots around town that could be good spots to develop more infill housing, including lots near Oak Hill Cemetery, Fifth and Mississippi streets, and more.
Board members Monte Soukup and Barry McMurphy have been working with some city staff members to examine sites around town, and their report was included in AHAB’s agenda for Thursday’s meeting.
Soukup told board members that the “paths of least resistance” would likely be a parcel near Oak Hill Cemetery, and the site of the city’s old traffic control building. Those are the two spots for which the board agreed to pursue further study.
It would be possible to plat 15 lots near the cemetery with short extensions of Prairie Avenue, Prospect Avenue and Summit Street, and with a realignment of 12th Street, according to the board members’ report.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
“In addition, the parcel directly north is also owned by the city and provides further opportunities for development of housing if desired,” according to the report in the meeting agenda. “Part of this lot is already being utilized for natural burials and consultation with the parks board would be required. However, there is still a significant opportunity here that should be studied in greater detail.”
Please support
The Lawrence Times!
Subscribe here.
Also, with the addition of the city’s new Municipal Services and Operations building that is currently under construction, the city is relocating services out of the traffic control building at 445 Mississippi St.
“The underlying plat is five lots of single family residential zoning,” according to the report, which recommended further study of potential opportunities for the site.
Soukup said his favorite site was the park west of the Lawrence Police Department’s headquarters in west Lawrence and north of Walmart, near Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. Five lots could be platted there along Eisenhower Drive.
However, “The Parks Department is in the middle of a process for community input to program this this park that has created an expectation that this will be a park and did not recommend ending that process. In addition the parcel was purchased with Bond funds and there are specific use restrictions that would have to be considered.”
Four other sites listed in the report, and the reasons they aren’t recommending the city pursue developing housing there, include:
• The southern section of Peterson Park west of Hallmark, but “The property is subject to a reverting deed restriction from Hallmark until 2046. The City staff recently contacted Hallmark about releasing the restriction and there was no interest by Hallmark,” according to the report.
• The current site of the Riverfront Mall and parking garage. The city recently reached a settlement that included purchasing the Riverfront building for $325,000. However, “The City will likely have many opportunities presented to them for this property. The City staff indicated that the condition of the parking garage is suspect and would need extensive evaluation to determine if constructing next to it would be wise.”
• A portion of Edgewood Park, on Maple Lane between houses on East Glenn Drive and the entrance to the park to the north. But “City staff indicated that even though adding a few lots here is possible, the pushback from the neighborhood would be significant and did not recommend moving forward with this site,” according to the report.
• A portion of Prairie Park near 27th Street and Harper Street, where 15 to 20 lots could be created. But “Staff indicated that this park has strong public support and any change would face significant opposition and did not recommend moving forward with a recommendation to modify this park.”
Soukup said there was no reason to “queue up four of these,” because they wouldn’t have funding to push projects forward on that many sites at once.
Board member Mark Buhler asked about other vacant lots the city owns. Soukup said a vast majority of those lots are on the floodplain.
“I didn’t find a lot out there that doesn’t have a reason” why it isn’t being developed, Soukup said.
Here’s the full report:
20260813-Property-Opportunities-ReportThursday’s meeting was also the final one for longtime board member Christina Gentry, who did not reapply for the position. AHAB members are volunteers appointed by the Lawrence City Commission.
Gentry said she’s now looking forward to working more directly with organizations and multisector partners who are making accessible housing for families.
“It’s been an honor to serve amongst you all,” Gentry said. “We have come a long way, and we have so much further things to go and so much to look forward to.”
Board members thanked Gentry for her years of service. They selected Mariel Ferreiro to serve as chair and Soukup to serve as vice chair through December. Matthew Petty is the new appointee who will fill the vacancy.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat — get the latest news from the Times delivered to your inbox:
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
Latest Lawrence news:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
