To the editor:

School closings are only one of several serious neighborhood issues.

Determining the “reason” for Lawrence’s continued decline in elementary-age children will properly identify the real problem. Current USD 497 problem: 1,081 empty elementary seats (equivalent of three schools), caused by:

a) Fewer families – and children – resulting from:

b) Lack of affordable housing, caused by:

c) Overpriced central city houses, caused by:

d) Three (or more) unrelated renters (outbidding) a family, resulting in:

e) More than 4,000 extremely profitable rental businesses operating within single-family zoned neighborhoods, which creates de facto multifamily zoning allowed by:

f) 1965 flawed zoning ordinance that says: “A group of four unrelated renters is the same as a family.” (Four thousand houses with no children is the “same as 4,000 families”?)

A 1965 single-family zoning ordinance is the real “problem.” It is responsible for $140,000-plus “starter” houses, causing families (and children) to live elsewhere (Baldwin, Eudora, DeSoto, etc.).

Limiting unrelated renters in SF zoning to two will: equalize a families’ ability to compete for rental or purchase; limit excess rental profit; reduce inflated housing prices (and taxes); and justify remodeling older homes.

Four thousand rental houses (full of unrelated renters) in single-family neighborhoods is Lawrence’s REAL “problem.” This can be solved by the city commission, preventing further neighborhood demise.

Bob Blank

Lawrence