photo by: Courtesy: City of Lawrence, Landworks Studio and CFS

A concept plan for the KTen Crossing shopping center and apartment complex is shown, as envisioned by planners in March 2020.

Planning commissioners have deferred their decision on various zoning and other changes that would allow for a new shopping center and apartment complex just south of the South Lawrence Trafficway.

As part of its meeting Wednesday evening, the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission voted unanimously to defer five items related to the KTen Crossing mixed-use retail, office and residential project, which developers would like to build just south of the U.S. Highway 59 interchange with Kansas Highway 10. The commission deferred all the items related to the project until its next meeting on June 22. Once the planning commission makes its recommendation, it will be sent to the City Commission for consideration.

The changes being considered include an amendment to the comprehensive plan, an annexation request and three rezoning requests. The commission met until nearly 1 a.m. Thursday and, in deferring the items, cited the large amount of material to consider. Commissioner Rob Sands also noted that public awareness and participation related to the items were likely more limited because of the pandemic and the virtual meeting format.