Bottom line
City commissioners are being asked to move ahead with the process to annex and rezone 67 acres of property near the Lecompton interchange on Interstate 70 for future industrial use.
Background
Commissioners will consider passing a resolution that will ask the Douglas County Commission to determine whether the property near North 1800 Road and East 900 Road can be annexed into the city without hindering the proper growth and development of any other city or area. The county commission is required to consider the issue because the 67-acre piece of property is not currently adjacent to the city limits. Steven Rothwell and members of his family are asking for the annexation because they said they want to be able to market their farm as a potential industrial location. The property has frontage along busy Interstate 70. Neighbors in the area, however, have objected to previous annexations and rezonings near the turnpike interchange.
Proclamation
• Proclaim July as Parks and Recreation Month.
Consent agenda
• Approve city commission meeting minutes from June 21.
• Receive minutes from various boards and commissions.
• Approve claims.
• Approve licenses recommended by the city clerk’s office.
• Approve appointments recommended by the mayor.
• Adopt ordinances on second and final reading that:
a. Annex approximately 7.6 acres of city-owned land at Lawrence Municipal Airport.
b. Address picking ripe fruit from trees, plants, and vines on certain city property.
• Approve a request and adopt an ordinance on first reading to rezone about 4.6 acres from RS7 (single-dwelling residential) to RM12D (multi-dwelling residential), at 25th Terrace and O’Connell Road. Submitted by Johnson Group Engineering for Fairfield Investors LLC, property owner of record.
• Accept dedication of easements and rights of way for preliminary plat for Fairfield Farms, a revision to a Fairfield Farms East Addition No. 1 plat, modifying Blocks 1 and 2 and Blocks 14 and 15 to combine 44 lots and rights-of-way into 14 lots with abutting right-of-way, at 25th Terrace and O’Connell Road. Submitted by Johnson Group Engineering for Fairfield Investors LLC, property owner of record.
• Authorize staff to submit applications to the Kansas Department of Transportation to complete transportation planning studies under the KDOT Competitive Consolidated Planning Grant funding program.
• Authorize the city manager to execute an agreement with Gilmore & Bell P.C. for bond counsel services.
Regular agenda
• Receive Planning Commission recommendation regarding annexation of about 67 acres, on the south side of North 1800 Road (Farmers’ Turnpike) and between the extended alignments of East 900 and East 950 roads, and consider adopting a resolution requesting the Douglas County Commission to make a statutory finding about whether the proposed annexation would hinder or prevent proper growth or development of the area or of any other incorporated city. Submitted by Steven Rothwell, Timothy W. and Lani S. Rothwell, for Timothy Rothwell, Wilber C. Rothwell, and Donald Kenna Rothwell, property owners of record.
• Consider adopting a resolution establishing a downtown task force.
• Consider recessing into executive session for 45 minutes to discuss employer-employee negotiations.
Comments
Richard Heckler 6 years ago
Lawrence,Kansas taxpayers CANNOT afford to annex more property simply because a property owner makes that request.
How many taxpayers want to be responsible for more property? Not me.
These people can market that property any way they wish however city officials cannot guarantee that development can take place anytime soon or maybe years from now. Nor should they.
Helter skelter growth patterns have been getting into the taxpayers wallets for far too long.
Lawrence,Kansas has plenty of sites zoned for industrial use. Lawrence cannot afford more empty land. Better do a market capacity study at the expense of the land owner.
Lawrence,kansas cannot afford to maintain the property we own much less more.
somebodynew 6 years ago
What ever happened to the policy of no "island annexations"???? All they are doing is helping out the landowner to be able to sell at a higher price to a developer. And, isn't it interesting that this land is right near the Schwada land that group got annexed??? Maybe not as much opposition if the landowner does it before he sells out???? Maybe the neighbors won't take them to court like they did the group??
And, even if they don't hook up to City utiliites, the property will be in the City thereby neccessitating Police and Fire responses to anything that goes on there. There is an underlying cost to any of these things and they are removed from the actual City proper, so the cost goes up a little more.
But, it is what a developer wants so it must be good for someone..........
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