The state’s top historical preservation official on Wednesday announced the rules for Monday’s hearing about Kansas University’s proposal to demolish three houses in the 1300 block of Ohio Street.

The hearing will help Ramon Powers, executive director of the Kansas State Historical Society and state historic preservation officer, settle a deadlock between city and university historic preservation boards about whether the demolition will be allowed.

KU wants to raze the century-old houses to make way for future scholarship halls. The Oread Neighborhood Assn. and Lawrence Preservation Alliance are opposed, saying the homes should be restored and that the construction would represent too much encroachment by KU into the neighborhood.

Representatives of KU and the city will each be given 10 minutes to make presentations, according to the rules released Wednesday. Other speakers must sign up by 7 p.m. Monday and will be limited to five minutes apiece  shorter if many people want to speak.

Powers will preside over the meeting, but he will not take questions. His decision will come at least a week after the hearing.

The matter came before both the Campus Historic Preservation Board and the city’s Historic Resources Commission because the houses are near two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: Spooner Hall, at 14th Street and Oread Avenue, and Usher House (Beta Theta Pi fraternity), 1425 Tenn. Changes to the “environs”  buildings and property near historic homes  must be reviewed before proceeding.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Douglas County Courthouse.