Lawrence City Commission to see plan for restaurants, retail in empty west Lawrence lot

A site plan from Paul Werner Architects shows the proposed retail, office and restaurant development near the intersection of Clinton Parkway and Inverness Drive.

After several tries to find an agreeable development for the land, a vacant lot off Clinton Parkway will be the site of restaurants, offices and retail, pending City Commission approval.

On Tuesday, commissioners will see a proposal for four restaurants, an office building and retail space at 4300 W. 24th Place, southeast of the Clinton Parkway and Inverness Drive intersection in west Lawrence.

Residents of the area have criticized other proposals for the seven acres, wary of the traffic that a development could bring into the neighborhood. In 2013, the City Commission shot down plans for a family fun center at the site.

Most recently, the Lawrence-Douglas Planning Commission rejected in January a special-use permit that would’ve allowed a fast-food drive-thru there. At the time, a few neighbors told planning commissioners a drive-thru would make the development less pedestrian-friendly.

Paul Werner, of Paul Werner Architects, owns the land and refined his proposal after planning commissioners denied the special-use permit. Now, the six-building plan includes two sit-down restaurants and two fast-food restaurants without drive-thrus. There’s 12,725 square feet of office space and 9,500 square feet for retail. A pedestrian plaza is planned for the development’s southwest corner.

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Entrances to the area will be available only off 24th Place.

Future tenants for the development have not been announced.

Because the proposal no longer includes a drive-thru, it doesn’t require a special-use permit or a recommendation from the planning commission. But, as a condition from when the property was rezoned, the City Commission must approve a site plan for the area.

According to a report on the proposal, the city distributed information about the development to residents within 1,000 feet of the site and received no communications in return.

The site plan is on the City Commission’s consent agenda, meaning it will be approved without discussion unless a commissioner or member of the public pulls it for discussion.

Commissioners meet for a budget work session Tuesday at 3 p.m. at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. Their regular meeting starts at 5:45 p.m.

This story has been updated to correct a reference to the location of 4300 W. 24th Place, which is southeast of the Clinton Parkway and Inverness Drive intersection.