Parks should be easier to get to in new Lawrence neighborhoods.

City commissioners on a 3-2 vote Tuesday evening agreed to change the city’s park standards to require that at least a small park and playground be within about a quarter-mile of every new home. Currently, the city tries to meet a standard of each home being within a half-mile radius of a neighborhood park.

“I think it is absolutely crucial that all of our new neighborhoods have some type of public gathering space,” said Commissioner Boog Highberger, who was joined by Commissioners David Schauner and Mike Rundle in supporting the changes. “A fair majority of people will walk a quarter of a mile to go to a park, but very few will walk a half-mile.”

The changes had originally been rejected by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission, in part, because leaders of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department had expressed concerns about how much it would cost to acquire and maintain the new parks.

The department estimated that a quarter-mile standard would require the city to add about 140 new parks – each about 3 acres in size – during the next 20 to 30 years as the city expands its borders. That compares to about 50 parks – of about 8 acres each – during the same time period if the current half-mile standard was kept.

“I do have concerns about the maintenance issues and the costs that go along with it,” said City Commissioner Sue Hack. “But then I tell myself that this is a quality of life issue.”

Hack and Mayor Mike Amyx ultimately both voted against the new standards, although both said they wanted to look at ways to encourage developers to add new mini-parks to their developments.

Highberger and the other commissioners, though, said they wanted the formality of having the quarter-mile standards being part of the city’s official planning documents. The standards will be included in the parks and recreation chapter of Horizon 2020, the city’s comprehensive plan.

Technically, the new standards will have to go back to the Planning Commission for another vote and then return to the City Commission for a final vote before the matter is settled because city commissioners deviated from the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

The new standards would not require existing neighborhoods to be retrofitted to meet the quarter-mile standard.

31st Street extension unanimously approved

City commissioners unanimously approved a request by their public works department to begin planning an extension of 31st Street from Haskell Avenue to O’Connell Road.

The city earlier this year received an $800,000 federal grant for the project. Chuck Soules, the city’s director of public works, said the money should be about enough to cover the cost to design the road and also begin purchasing some right-of-way. But it won’t be enough to cover construction costs, which could run near $6 million.

Commissioners on Tuesday said that they hoped by moving ahead on the plans that it would put the city in a better position of garnering some state funding, if any ever becomes available.

The project would not directly affect the portion of 31st Street that runs through the Baker Wetlands.

Congressman Dennis Moore was successful in garnering the funding for the project at about the same time earlier this year that Sen. Pat Roberts was successful in garnering $1.5 million in funding for a 32nd Street route for the South Lawrence Trafficway.

Bump in N. Lawrence street to be removed

Commissioners gave approval to plans to rebuild the intersection of North Second and Locust streets in North Lawrence.

Commissioners heard no objections from either North Lawrence residents or business owners. The project would expand the intersection so left-hand turn lanes could be added. It also would eliminate a longtime bump in the road that has been the cause of accidents in the past.

“We’ve been waiting 13 years for this project,” said Ted Boyle, president of the North Lawrence Improvement Assn. “This will improve safety.”

The $1.4 million project is scheduled to begin in October 2007. The state will pay 80 percent of the costs, with the city paying the remaining 20 percent. The city will keep one lane of traffic open in each direction during construction of the intersection.

Naismith bike lanes won’t be added

Commissioners agreed to move ahead with repaving the northbound section of Naismith Drive from 23rd Street to 19th Street this summer.

But commissioners chose not to change the configuration of the road’s lanes. There had been a recommendation from the Bicycle Advisory Committee to reduce the road from two narrow lanes of traffic to one wide lane of traffic and to use the extra space for a four-foot bike lane.

But commissioners heard concerns from both the neighborhood and adjacent Kansas University about the plan.