In this file photo from June 2014, the eastern section of the South Lawrence Trafficway and relocated 31st Street begin to take shape in south Lawrence.

Representing the final step in a long process, City of Lawrence leaders will soon consider approving regulations that prohibit new neighborhoods in rural areas near the city’s boundaries unless that land is ready to be added to the city.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider an amendment to subdivision regulations for Lawrence and the unincorporated areas of Douglas County. The amendment would bar the development of additional rural subdivisions, and instead a developer would need to request for the land to be added to city, requiring the neighborhood to follow city lot sizes and other standards.

Planners have said the amendment works to implement the density standards and other goals related to growth management that are laid out in the community’s most recent comprehensive plan, Plan 2040. The proposed change represents a turnaround from the relative ease of subdividing rural or agricultural land into residential lots in recent decades, which has resulted in a boom of rural neighborhoods with multi-acre lots. Planners have said such developments preclude denser city expansion in those areas and create infrastructure problems for both the city and the county.

photo by: Douglas County

A map shows the three growth tiers, or land in the city’s current and future growth area, included in the city and county’s comprehensive plan, Plan 2040. Newly proposed regulations for subdividing land for Lawrence and the unincorporated areas of Douglas County would prohibit new residential subdivisions in land in the city’s growth area unless the land is annexed into the city.

Citing the need for smarter growth, the Douglas County Commission voted unanimously to approve the amendment as part of its meeting this week. The City Commission previously expressed support for the amendment, and its vote would be the last approval needed to finalize the amendment. Under the proposed amendment, new neighborhoods in the current and future growth areas of the city — known as tier two and tier three — would be allowed only when the development is eligible to be annexed into the city, and city leaders have said the city should be ready to consider annexations if the amendment goes forward.

In other business, the commission will provide direction to staff concerning a proposed amendment to the adopted 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Plan to include a Parks and Recreation project that would install artificial turf on two of the soccer fields at the Youth Sports Complex. The turf installation and other improvements are anticipated to cost $1.5 million. The city anticipates that revenue generated from hourly rental fees, primarily from the Sporting Kaw Valley soccer league and other community groups, would cover a substantial portion of the annual debt payment needed to construct the fields.

The Lawrence City Commission will meet virtually at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, and some staff will be in place at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. The public may attend the meeting in person at City Hall or participate virtually by following directions included in the commission’s meeting agenda, which is available on the city’s website, lawrenceks.org.