City leaders said they are interested in changing or possibly repealing ordinances that make it illegal to camp or sleep on public land, in city parks and in downtown Lawrence. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission discussed ordinances regarding illegal camping and park hours that some say negatively affect homeless people. Several residents spoke out against the ordinances, saying that ...
City leaders will soon discuss a draft Lawrence police department policy that would limit police cooperation with federal immigration agents. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will provide input to city staff on the draft police policy and a draft city ordinance regarding how city staff interact with undocumented immigrants. City staff will receive the input and bring the city ...
Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board has voted to recommend a $550,000 grant for a mixed-use affordable housing development planned for the Warehouse Arts District. The developer of the Penn Street Lofts project, Tony Krsnich, is requesting a $550,000 grant from the city’s affordable housing trust fund, which is largely funded by a special sales tax that Lawrence voters approved in 2017. Krsnich is ...
City leaders have a couple of new ideas when it comes to the contentious topic of sidewalk repair, including the creation of a sidewalk insurance program and a gradual city takeover of maintenance responsibilities. The city adopted a policy in 2018 to administer its sidewalk repair ordinance, which had been on the books for decades but had not been strongly enforced. The ordinance requires all property owners ...
Lawrence's Public Incentives Review Committee has voted to recommend economic incentives for a mixed-use affordable housing development planned for the Warehouse Arts District. The developer of the Penn Street Lofts project is requesting $1.4 million in economic incentives and a $550,000 grant from the city’s affordable housing funds. At its meeting Thursday, the PIRC voted to recommend all three of the ...
Thanks to a donation from a Lawrence solar energy company, a local nonprofit organization, the Sunrise Project, will soon be solar powered. Good Energy Solutions, 641 E. 22nd St., announced earlier this winter that it was accepting applications for a free solar energy system from nonprofit organizations in Douglas County. The company, which the Good family runs, recently announced that the Sunrise Project was ...