photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will review recommendations for modernizing the county’s zoning and subdivision regulations, including stronger land-use policies, infrastructure requirements and environmental protections.

As the Journal-World reported, Douglas County partners with the City of Lawrence and consulting firm Clarion Associates to complete a comprehensive review of two sections of the county code – Chapter 11, Subdivision Regulations, and Chapter 12, Zoning and Planning.

On Wednesday, county commissioners will discuss the findings in the comprehensive review of the county’s zoning and subdivision regulations. The report is intended to serve as a roadmap for future updates. While it doesn’t change any regulations, it identifies strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to modernize the code through a future public process. Commissioners will not take any action following the presentation, as it is for informational purposes only.

One of the primary findings in the report is that Douglas County needs a stronger policy framework to guide future land use decisions. The consultants recommended creating a future land use map specifically for the unincorporated areas in the county; identifying which goals from Plan 2040 should be used in development decisions; and establishing clearer policies for annexation near cities.

The report also recommends working more closely with the City of Lawrence and surrounding communities to determine when development should annex into cities and when it should remain under county jurisdiction.

Another finding is that development approvals should be more closely tied to the available infrastructure and public services in the area. The report recommends requiring applicants to demonstrate that roads, drainage systems, wastewater, domestic water supplies, fire protection and emergency access must support proposed developments before they are approved.

Other recommendations include updating the permitted land use table, creating separate tables for accessory and temporary land uses; clarifying which uses require conditional use permits, and developing other standards addressing traffic, dust, noise, lighting, fire protection and water availability.

Environmental protection is also addressed in the report. The consultants are recommending strengthening the lighting standards to reduce the impacts on wildlife and other environmentally sensitive areas. In addition, there are recommendations to create more specific regulations for different features, like stream corridor and buffer standards.

To plan ahead for rewrites to the county’s code, Douglas County is planning to include $300,000 in the 2027 budget for the work. The rewrite is estimated to take at least two years to complete, as the Journal-World reported.

The County Commission’s business meeting follows at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Douglas County Commission meeting room at 1100 Massachusetts St. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.