A pair of controversial Lawrence developments got mixed results Wednesday at the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission meeting.
Commissioners approved a preliminary development plan for a proposed Home Depot store at 31st Street and Ousdahl Road. But they put the brakes on a proposed commercial and office complex at Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive, saying it was too big.
Three local organizations are voicing opposition to a pair of developments under consideration by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission. At the Wednesday meeting, Melodie Christal of the Downtown Lawrence Assn. objects to the preliminary plan for a Home Depot store at 31st Street and Ousdahl Road because she says it violates Horizon 2020, the city-county comprehensive planning document.
Approval for the Home Depot project came despite opponents who said it would exacerbate traffic on 31st Street, potentially cause flooding problems in the area and violate Horizon 2020's guidelines on the size of commercial development. Horizon 2020 is the county's long-range planning guide.
City commission candidate Adam Mansfield led the latter charge.
"I would like a little clarification why you feel the need to go against the comprehensive plan," he said. "There's a reason we have the plans: So people don't have to come down to these meetings and make sure you're following the community as a whole."
But planning commissioners noted the proposal had planning staff support, as long as rezoning of the 25-acre site to planned commercial development still tabled by the Lawrence City Commission is approved.
The plan won't allow development to be complete until 31st Street is improved, and developers said they are working to address the stormwater concerns.
Commissioner Ron Durflinger said Horizon 2020 should be flexible.
"Comprehensive plans are guide plans. If we wanted them to be law, we would codify them," he said.
The plan should be examined, he said, "to see if it's workable for the world of today and make it serve us ... instead of using it as a line drawn in the sand."
Commissioners approved the plan 6-2, with Sue Pine and Gregory Leon Frost opposing, and Tom Jennings abstaining.
The Home Depot proposal has been on the drawing board for two years.
"It's a step in the right direction," said Lawrence attorney Dan Watkins, who represents the development. "It's a sign significant adjustments to the plan have been made to address traffic, green space and (automobile) circulation on the site."
Dial Realty KC faced similar Horizon 2020 opposition for the Sixth and Wakarusa development, including from planning staffers who recommended against rezoning the site to planned commercial development. At 460,556 square feet, staff said, the proposal exceeded Horizon 2020's guidelines by 310,556 square feet.
"In my view, it's not on the fuzzy line that is Horizon 2020; this is in another field," Commissioner Andrew Ramirez said. "I want to see some commercial (development) there, but this is too much."
But Dial's Jim Harpool pointed out flaws in the plan, saying it didn't anticipate Lawrence's current population until 2009. The market will be able to absorb the new store space by 2003, he said.
That drew agreement from Commissioner Roger Schenewerk.
"We have a history in this community of underestimating the amount of commercial space we need," he said. Lawrence's growth west, he said, will make the area a commercial center.
Other commissioners echoed Ramirez's comments, though, saying the proposal was generally fine but needed to be smaller. Jane Bateman, the commission's chair, tabled the matter to allow the developers to come up with a more acceptable size.
Harpool said that could be a deal-killer. Reducing the size might make it harder to recoup development costs.
"I guess if you're telling us to do this smaller, I don't know how we're going to do that," he said.
The World Company, owner of the Journal-World, is listed as a property owner on the development application for Sixth and Wakarusa, but officials say the company's part in the proposal is under option to other parties.
The planning commission's Home Depot recommendations now go to the Lawrence City Commission for final approval, perhaps at its April 17 meeting.
Staff writer Joel Mathis can be reached at 832-7126.
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