Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning and Development Services

 

TO:

David L. Corliss, City Manager

 

FROM:

Planning Staff

 

CC:

Scott McCullough, Planning and Development Services Director

 

Date:

July 31, 2012

 

RE:

Consider initiation of rezoning of former Farmland Industries property

 

 

Staff has begun to review a submittal of a Preliminary Plat for the former Farmland Industries property and a Special Use Permit for the relocation of Westar’s sub-station.  These applications have been submitted for consideration at the September Planning Commission meeting.  As the City is the owner of this property, it is appropriate for the City Commission to initiate the rezoning of the property from County zoning designations to City classifications. 

 

The northern portions of the property will not be utilized for development for a number of years as remediation efforts continue.  Therefore, Staff suggests that these areas be zoned UR (Urban Reserve), a district primarily intended for newly annexed land where development is not yet intended.  The portion of the property north of the BNSF railroad tracks is partially encumbered by the regulatory floodplain and is required to be rezoned to a designation that includes the –FP District.  Therefore, this portion is proposed as UR-FP.

 

The majority of the property is intended to serve as a business park for the community.  As such, the preliminary plat lays out large, flexible lot configurations with a main east/west street that provides connectivity to the existing street system in East Hills Business Park.  The main entrance for both parks will be located at the future signalized intersection of E 23rd Street/K-10 and O’Connell Road.  The northern extension of O’Connell Road will eventually tie into E 19th Street.  The extension of this northern road provides a reasonable dividing line between the smaller lot configuration west of the road and larger parcels east of the road.  The western portion is proposed to be rezoned to the IM (Medium Industrial) District and the eastern portion is proposed to be rezoned to the IG (General Industrial) District. Unplatted parcels owned by Douglas County that are located between the existing East Hills property and the former Farmland Industries property are included in the Preliminary Plat and already zoned IG.

 

The attached exhibit illustrates the proposed zoning districts.  Acreages are approximate due to ‘remnant’ portions of County or City zoning designations along the K-10 right-of-way as previous zoning actions either extended into the right-of-way or included only platted lots.  Existing City and County zoning designations are shown on the attached map.

 

Action Requested

Staff recommends initiation of rezoning of the following parcels as shown on the proposed rezoning areas exhibit for consideration at the September Planning Commission meeting:

 

a)    Approximately 31.7 acres (and adjacent railroad r-o-w) from I-4 (Heavy Industrial) and VC (Valley Channel) Districts to UR-FP (Urban Reserve – Floodplain Overlay) District, located in the NE1/4 & NW1/4 Sec 4-13-20;

 

b)   Approximately 170.4 acres (and adjacent railroad r-o-w) from I-4 (Heavy Industrial) District to UR (Urban Reserve) District, located in the NE1/4 & NW1/4 Sec 4-13-20;

 

c)    Approximately 170.7 acres (and adjacent highway r-o-w) from I-4 (Heavy Industrial), I-1 (Limited Industrial), A (Agricultural) County Districts and CC200 (Community Commercial Center) City District to IG (General Industrial) District, located in the NW1/4 & SW1/4 Sec 4-13-20; and

 

d)    Approximately 59.0 acres (and adjacent highway r-o-w) from I-1 (Limited Industrial), B-1 (Neighborhood Business) and A (Agricultural) County Districts to IM (Medium Industrial) District, located in the SE1/4 Sec 5-13-20 & SW1/4 Sec 4-13-20.