Gas station site OK’d for Sixth and Lawrence

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a site plan for a new five-pump gas station at Sixth Street and Lawrence Avenue.

The fuel facility will be located in the existing Dillons parking lot at the intersection.

Some neighborhood residents initially opposed approval, citing an increase in traffic, but the final site plan contained provisions to improve Lawrence Avenue to handle the traffic.

Commissioners gave their unanimous approval.

Airplane manufacturer leases space at airport

Commissioners approved leasing the Lawrence Municipal Airport hangar that formerly housed failed aviation company DreamWings to a new small-airplane manufacturer.

Gut Works will manufacture a smaller kit version of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter.

One point of contention, whether the company will have to pay property taxes on the hangar, was resolved when commissioners agreed to reduce the lease payments by the cost of the nearly $5,000 tax payment.

Otherwise, Gut Works would have paid nothing its first six months in the hangar, $1,550 a month the next six months, and up to $2,170 a month during the next 19 years. But the additional property tax payments, company director Ron Renz said, “could mean the difference between success and failure.”

Commissioners directed staff to redraft the lease with the property tax adjustment.