A moratorium on new construction that silenced hammers and saws in parts of Pinckney, Old West Lawrence and Hillcrest neighborhoods likely will be extended 90 days.

City officials continue work on a plan to map development in the three central Lawrence neighborhoods. But planners and neighborhood leaders said that to assure those plans weren’t derailed before they were completed, they needed to extend the building permit moratorium approved last summer.

“We have to do something to bring some consistency to these neighborhoods,” said John Pepperdine, a former president of the Pinckney Neighborhood Assn. who has worked on the development plan.

“We want a situation that when you move into a residential area, you know that it is actually going to be residential around you.”

Neighbors had complained that spot zoning was rife, allowing commercial or multifamily properties to go up adjacent to single-family homes.

City commissioners at their meeting tonight will consider extending the building moratorium through April 25. The item is part of the commission’s consent agenda, which typically is approved without discussion unless a member of the public asks to speak about an issue.

Bobbie Flory, executive director of the Lawrence Homebuilders Assn., said the group opposed the extension and was concerned the city was becoming too reliant on building moratoriums. The city also has a moratorium in place for a portion of eastern Lawrence while a plan is developed for that area.

“Unless it is an issue of health, safety or welfare, I don’t think building moratoriums should be imposed,” Flory said. “They ought to be reserved for those special circumstances. I don’t think it is fair to property owners to shut down an entire area while we plan.”

The moratorium does allow exceptions for residents seeking permits for repairs, if the improvements don’t increase the overall size of the building.

Carmen Clapsaddle, Lawrence, pushes her daughter Sarah, 4, through an Old West Lawrence neighborhood. City officials continue to work on a plan to map out future growth and development in the Hillcrest, Pinckney and Old West Lawrence neighborhoods. While planning continues, the city is considering expanding a building moratorium in the area.

Michelle Leininger, an area neighborhood planner with the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Department, said she hoped the area plan would be complete and ready for City Commission approval next month. A draft version of the plan is done. Leininger said it attempted to strike a balance between commercial and residential interests.

“They (neighbors) want commercial areas, but they don’t want the commercial areas extending into the residential areas,” Leininger said.

The draft plan lists four recommendations to guide development:

• Establish design guidelines. The guidelines would be similar, but less restrictive, than the guidelines created for the downtown area. Leininger said more discussion was needed on whether the guidelines would apply only to commercial properties or whether they also should include residential properties.
• Update zoning. A quick review by city staff of land uses in the area found about 20 properties that are commercial or multifamily uses in areas zoned for single-family homes. The plan recommends that zoning changes be made to create more buffer areas between commercial and residential areas. Leininger said the recommendation wasn’t necessarily that businesses in improperly zoned areas be removed, but rather that future developments properly comply with all regulations.

• Attract more medical uses in the area. Because the area is near Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the plan recommends more development of medical office buildings and related uses.
• Promote the area as a gateway to downtown. The plan recommends creating more of a pedestrian feel by widening sidewalks and requiring more landscaping between sidewalks and roadways.

Some business owners in the area said they weren’t sure yet whether the plan would create positive results.

“If the plan encourages other businesses to take pride in what is being done in the area, then I applaud the efforts,” said Marilyn Dobski, an owner of the city’s McDonald’s franchise, which has a store in the area. “But we don’t want anything that provides a deterrent or makes it more difficult to work with the city.”

The City Commission meets at 6:35 tonight at City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.