City to hold public meeting on Oread neighborhood design guidelines

Some of the goals for the Oread Neighborhood Design Guidelines are shown in this page from a draft version of the document.

The city’s planning department will host a public meeting Wednesday to gain feedback on proposed design guidelines for the Oread neighborhood.

The guidelines are meant to maintain or improve property values and keep the historic character of the neighborhood, according to the proposal.

The neighborhood, located between downtown Lawrence and Kansas University, has a higher density of residents than other parts of the city, a draft of the guidelines states. It was decided to create guidelines because of concerns about parking, trash, privacy, noise and code compliance. With some homes in the area converted into rental units, there have also been concerns about the neighborhood’s design integrity.

The guidelines, which are laid out in a 132-page document, will be discussed at a public meeting Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the auditorium of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.

The city’s Historic Resources Commission and Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission will review the guidelines Feb. 18. The commissions will vote on them March 21.

The guidelines will go to the City Commission for final consideration. That date has not been set.