City OKs rezoning
of 'Getto property'
Lawrence city commissioners agreed Tuesday night to annex about 164 acres into the city and to rezone the property for a mix of residential and office developments.
The vote came three weeks after commissioners denied Dial Realty's request for commercial zoning in one corner of the quarter-section area commonly known as the "Getto property" south of Clinton Parkway, between Crossgate and Inverness.
Following that action, the developers pulled their request for annexation and other rezoning from the commission's agenda, then spent the next three weeks trying to come up with a new development plan.
Jim Harpool of Dial Realty said the city's refusal to accept commercial zoning in the area almost killed the $100 million development.
The revised plan approved Tuesday night calls for higher intensity multi-family developments along the eastern edge of the property.
Harpool said the higher intensity housing is needed to offset many of the public costs of the project, including traffic lights, major street improvements and flood control measures at the southeast corner of the property.
Plans for arts center
receive approval
The Lawrence Arts Center cleared another hurdle Tuesday night in its effort to build a new facility in the Downtown 2000 redevelopment district.
City commissioners gave their approval to a preliminary plan for the building that is proposed for the 900 block of New Hampshire.
The $6.1 million building would provide the arts center with about four times as much space as it has now, and would include a performance auditorium, galleries, dance and ceramic studios, and classrooms for adult and children's education.
The building would be owned by the city of Lawrence, which has agreed to pay about $3.6 million of the cost.
Lawrence Arts Center officials said they have raised about $1.5 million of their share, and fund-raising efforts are under way to raise the remainder of the cost.
The development plans now go the Lawrence Historic Resources Commission for its review.
Commission gives nod
to airport improvement plan
City commissioners gave their approval Tuesday night to a $4.7 million improvement plan that officials hope will lure more traffic and industry to the Lawrence Airport.
The plans call for extending the runway, strengthening and upgrading the taxiway and apron area, building emergency access roads, acquiring about 2.2 acres of additional land, and extending city water and sewer service to the airport.
Those improvements are part of a new capital improvements plan for the airport that city officials will now submit to the Federal Aviation Administration for its approval.
The Aviation Advisory Board will apply for FAA grants to cover 90 percent of the cost of improvements directly related to airport safety, such as the runway and apron improvements.
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