Editorial: Retail questions

Good questions are being asked about retail development in Lawrence. Now we need some answers.

The developers of a proposed shopping center on South Iowa Street might be doing Lawrence a favor by pursuing their plans even in the face of a negative recommendation from the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission.

It’s unclear at this point whether the North Carolina-based developers will simply walk away from this plan or take their case to the Lawrence City Commission, which can override the planning commission’s recommendation or send it back to the planning group for additional consideration. Either way, the issue of where, when and whether Lawrence should allow expanded retail development remains. It’s a discussion that Lawrence needs to have, and continued consideration of the south Iowa development could force that conversation.

Good points are being made on both sides of this issue. Opponents point to Horizon 2020, the city’s comprehensive plan, which says retail development shouldn’t be allowed south of the South Lawrence Trafficway. However, it also suggests the possibility of an “auto-related commercial center” on that site, which could include auto sales and repair businesses, restaurants, hotels and other uses “that attract a large amount of the traveling public.” It foresees a relatively intense commercial development, but not the type and quantity of retail that is being proposed.

How rigid should that plan be? Should it be flexible enough to accommodate what some see as a retail bonanza for the city, or should be it rigid enough to force that type of development to another part of the city? Some residents say if the South Iowa plan is approved, the city might as well not have a comprehensive plan because it ignores it anyway. Others say the city needs to be able to respond to opportunities, including a developer willing to make a sizable financial investment in Lawrence. What should govern development in Lawrence: developer money or community planning?

The city already has approved retail zoning in other areas, including a large site that has set idle for a number of years at the intersection of West Sixth Street and the SLT. None of the groups that control those sites has been able to put together commitments from as many retailers as the group on South Iowa. If that project is turned down, will those retailers consider another location in Lawrence or just go away, taking their investment and sales tax revenue with them?

Some observers are expressing concern about the impact of additional retail development on Lawrence’s downtown. Downtown is a special place, but it hasn’t been the retail center of the city for a long time. It has evolved in ways that don’t please everyone, but will blocking other retail development expand or preserve retail downtown? If the answer to that question is “yes,” and downtown is the city’s top priority, then it would have to try to block new retail development not only on South Iowa but at other sites already zoned for that purpose.

These aren’t easy questions, but they won’t go away. They will be back every time a new retail development is proposed in Lawrence. This is as good a time as any to try to find some answers.