Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	Planning Commission
FROM:	Scott McCullough, Director
Date:	November 2, 2011
RE:	Boarding House Text Amendment – TA-6-17-09 – Post Adoption Information

On October 4, 2011 the City Commission considered information related to the text revisions adopted on January 25, 2011 that revised certain development standards for Boarding Houses and Multi-Dwelling Structures.  See attached memo dated September 19, 2011 to the City Commission and other documents as background.

At their October 4, 2011 meeting, the City Commission directed staff to submit land use information, compiled after the January adoption of the revised Boarding House standards, to the Planning Commission to discuss the following items related to the code amendments.

1. Analyze the basis for using 3,500 sq ft as one criterion to be eligible for .5 parking spaces per bedroom requirement and whether basements and attics should be used when calculating the structure size.

2. Review new data compiled by staff and confirm whether the outcome/implications of the code amendments are desired.

3. Review other structure sizes (ex. 4,000, 5,000, 6,000, etc) to determine if the outcome on the Oread neighborhood of using a different structure size is more or less desirable compared to the current 3,500 sq. ft. code standard.

History

TA-6-17-09 was initiated on May 20, 2009 by the Planning Commission as part of a group of amendments reviewed and determined to be a priority to process.  The following summarizes the history of the process.

• August 24, 2009 – PC meeting
• October 26, 2009 – PC meeting
• December 16, 2009 – PC forwards recommendation to CC
• February 2, 2010 – CC returns the item to the PC for further discussion on specific points.
• March 24, 2010 – PC meeting
• May 26, 2010 – PC meeting
• August 25, 2010 – PC meeting
• September 20, 2010 – PC meeting
• December 13, 2010 – PC forwards a revised recommendation to CC
• January 25, 2011 – CC adopts code amendments
• March 2, 2011 - Staff provides information to stakeholders related to how the size of structures will be calculated and on how many properties would be eligible for the .5 parking space per bedroom standard.
• June 21, 2011 – The City Commission considered a request from Candice Davis to initiate a text amendment to consider revisions to the amendments adopted in January, 2011.  The City Commission voted to not initiate the text amendment but in a subsequent meeting requested that staff provide newly available land use information on how the amendments impact the Oread Neighborhood.
• October 4, 2011 – The City Commission reviewed the information and directed staff to submit the information to the Planning Commission as stated above.
• November 1, 2011 – The City Commission released the Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to aid in the drafting of the Oread Neighborhood Overlay Zones.

The information considered by the City Commission is attached, as well as information reflecting the number of eligible properties if a range of structure sizes were considered (to respond to item 3 above).  Also attached are the January, 2011 minutes of the City Commission’s approval of the amendments, the PC memo and minutes of the December 13, 2010 meeting where the PC forwarded their recommendation to the CC, and the June 21, 2011 and October 4, 2011 CC minutes where the subsequent text amendment request and the new land use information were discussed.

Please note that there is no text amendment to consider at this time, only the specific statements requested of the City Commission.  After discussion, staff will forward the PC’s conclusions to the City Commission so that they may determine if additional amendments or direction to staff is necessary.

Attachments:  Analysis of different structure sizes as they relate to reduced parking standard (to respond to CC item no. 3)

                   Maps reflecting the product of using 4,000, 4,500, and 5,000 sq. ft. as the structure size to be eligible for the .5 parking space per bedroom standard

Staff memo and map dated September 19, 2011 for the October 4, 2011 CC mtg

                   October 4, 2011 CC minutes – new land use info discussed by CC

June 21, 2011 CC minutes – new TA request denied by CC

January 25, 2011 CC minutes – Original TA request adopted by CC

Ordinance 8606 adopting the amendments

December 13, 2010 Staff memo – Original TA request recommended approval by PC

December 13, 2010 PC minutes

Communications