To the editor:

Do Lawrence residents realize zoning changes will be proposed to the City Commission by the Planning Commission to allow duplexes and/or additional dwelling units (ADU) to be built on all existing residential property? If you are not aware, read up on the city website.

This will have a devastating impact on already dense neighborhoods and impacts all areas of Lawrence. Many single-family neighborhoods will convert to an R2 zoning district. Many houses, even the smaller lots, could be modified to allow for a duplex or add an ADU in the backyard. The occupancy proposal is to increase the non-related individuals from three to five for each unit. This code also proposes significantly reduced parking requirements so expect more overparked streets and cars in yards. This will destroy the architectural significance of neighborhoods. Landlords own more than half the homes in Lawrence; allowing multiple units on current single residential lots in the majority of Lawrence is not going to make housing affordable. This will make it more lucrative for property investors to outbid families in key neighborhoods. The Oread Neighborhood taught us this lesson more than a decade ago. Are we doomed to repeat this history in all our core neighborhoods? I do not believe this will create and retain strong affordable neighborhoods but rather erode them.

Pam Burkhead,

Lawrence