City Hall report

Weekly review of city government

Rezoning approved

The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday gave final approval to rezoning of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive, where Wal-Mart has been blocked from building for nearly a year.

The rezoning prohibits buildings on the site from exceeding 80,000 square feet; Wal-Mart has proposed a 132,000-square-foot store for the site.

Bill Newsome, a co-owner of the land, again registered opposition. His company, 6Wak Land Investments, and Wal-Mart have filed six lawsuits against the city in the matter.

“Zoning is not a mechanism to stop a development. You’re using zoning inappropriately,” Newsome said. “Your passage of that will expand the scope of the litigation.”

Commissioner Sue Hack was the lone vote against the rezoning, which was supported by Mayor Mike Rundle and commissioners David Dunfield, Boog Highberger and David Schauner.

Up in smoke

Assistant City Manager Dave Corliss said Tuesday he was drafting an ordinance, for City Commission consideration, to ban smoking in Lawrence bars and restaurants.

“It might be ready next week, or maybe the following week, as a draft,” Corliss said.

Three commissioners — Dunfield, Schauner and Rundle — have said they favor some form of smoking restrictions.

In the meantime, an Internet bulletin board devoted entirely to the issue has sprung up at www.rivercitytalk.com/lsb. Commissioners have reportedly been invited to join the discussion — but none had as of Tuesday afternoon.

A new look

A committee that will recommend how future commercial developments should look in Lawrence is getting closer to making recommendations.

Planning Director Linda Finger said the committee, which will report to the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, should have draft “design guidelines” ready to examine at its meeting next Tuesday.

The guidelines would give new commercial developments a look unique to Lawrence — instead of allowing chain stores to look exactly like their counterparts in communities across the country.

The committee meets at 8 a.m. Tuesday in City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.