WRITER: Rochelle Valverde

Lawrence City Commission moves forward with design of bus station, asks for more options for downtown bus transfer area

City leaders have approved a design concept for the city’s new bus station, but following concerns from downtown businesses have asked for additional options to consider for the location and design of a smaller bus transfer location downtown. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to move forward with an $833,000 contract with Wendel Companies for the final design and ...

City leaders to discuss proposal to bar more housing near Lawrence until the city expands

Lawrence city commissioners will soon get their first look at newly proposed regulations that would prohibit new neighborhoods in rural areas near the city's boundaries until that land is ready to be added to the city. Commissioners will discuss the proposed subdivision regulations as part of their meeting Tuesday. The newly proposed regulations for Lawrence and the unincorporated areas of Douglas County would ...

Lawrence City Commission to consider bus station design, plus design and location of downtown transfer area

City leaders will soon decide on the design of the city’s new bus station and the location and design of a smaller bus transfer location downtown. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will select the designs and location, then consider moving forward with a $1.03 million contract with Wendel Companies for the final design and construction administration services for both projects. The ...

City's recommended budget would increase all 3 utility rates; specific rate proposal to be made in the fall

Citing the need to spend millions to fix water and sewer lines and other long-neglected utility infrastructure, the Lawrence city manager’s recommended budget calls for continuing the utility rate increases of recent years in 2022. The city provides water and sewer, storm water and solid waste service, and City Manager Craig Owens’ 2022 recommended budget proposes increases in all three city utility rates. ...

Estimated wind gusts exceeding 60 mph damage trees, cause outages; storm dumps 4 inches of rain in Lawrence area

Updated at 12:58 p.m. Friday An overnight storm in the Lawrence area with high wind gusts downed multiple tree limbs and utility poles, as well as causing other damage, including lightning strikes and power outages. Shawn Byrne, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said the NWS did not have specific data about wind gusts of the storm in Lawrence, because the storm knocked out power for ...

Lawmakers hear pointed comments from public, calls for an independent commission at redistricting town hall meeting in Lawrence

Lawrence residents and other attendees did not hold back during a town hall meeting Friday hosted by Kansas legislators as they prepare to redraw the state’s political boundaries. The House and Senate redistricting committees scheduled a total of 14 town hall meeting across the state this week to give residents a chance to provide input on the redistricting process as the committees prepare to redraw ...