Memorandum
City of Lawrence
Police Department
|
TO: |
Dave Corliss, City Manager |
|
FROM: |
Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police |
|
CC: |
Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager; Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager; Scott McCullough, Planning and Development Services Director |
|
Date: |
May 28, 2014 |
|
RE: |
Police Facility Sites |
Background
In September of 2011, the City of Lawrence began the process of formally examining the current and future facility needs of the Police Department. Wilson Estes Police Architects in collaboration with Treanor Architects were selected to conduct a Facility Needs Assessment. On May 1, 2012, the City received the Police Facility Needs Assessment Study. This consisted of a written report as well as a Study Session presentation (PowerPoint) to the City Commission by the architects. Both documents are provided on the City website under the Police Department Facility link.
The purpose of this memorandum is not to reexamine the need for a police facility, but to present some of the top early sites identified by the architects as well to evaluate additional publically submitted sites utilizing the criteria and recommendations as outlined by the architectural team and City staff. In this manner, a combined top site list can compiled for additional examination.
Study Recommendations
The architectural team which conducted the needs study has extensive experience in facility assessment processes as well as in the construction of hundreds of police/law enforcement facilities. Defining facility considerations presented included having adequate space (land and structure) and a building design incorporating functional adjacency concepts. Space needs should be sufficient for not only the current needs, but to accommodate at least 20 years of projected growth. Consideration of adjacencies in police facility design ensures that things that need to be next to each other within the facility are; and that some things that should not be close together are not. Having patrol sergeant offices in close proximity to the patrol squad room which in turn is close to the locker room are examples of functions that should be close together. Another example would be the desire to have the evidence intake room next to the evidence processing room. Both of these areas should then also be accessible from a secure garage or building exterior to facilitate large item processing (to include vehicles). Having crime victims and suspects waiting in common lobby would be an example of things that should not be close together. Not having public restrooms situated within the facility’s secure or sensitive areas are other examples. Key recommendations in regards to a new facility are:
§ Recommended site requirement of at least 13 acres.
§ Estimated total project space (building) need of 103,239 square feet on the day of occupation.
§ Construction of a basement area beneath the entire first floor footprint of the building.
§ Adjacency factors in design to address safety, security, confidentiality, productivity, infrastructure considerations, and service related concerns.
Although not part of the formal written needs study, staff discussed the merits of new construction as compared to the remodeling of an existing building with the architects. Properly designed modern police facilities have very specific design and use needs and elements that many buildings do not. To meet the needs of a purpose built police facility which incorporates adjacency concepts as well as other function specific design needs, new construction enjoys many advantages. The costs of remodeling existing structures which were never envisioned as a public safety facility may approach or exceed new construction costs without the functionality and efficiency advantages realized with new construction. Existing building design, location, growth potential, and mechanical deficiencies would also need to be addressed, further increasing the costs.
Additional Considerations
The Police Facility Needs Assessment Study itself did not examine site criteria beyond establishing minimum recommend site size and building square footage. The architectural team and staff did compile a list of additional considerations that may serve as a guide when evaluating the suitability of sites for a police facility. They include:
§ Historic environs. Is the site within the environs of a historic property?
§ Flood Plain. Is the site within or adjacent to designated flood plain?
§ Ownership. Is ownership private, public, City, or a combination?
§ Adequate Green Space – Acreage. Does the site meet the minimum architectural recommendations?
§ Central Location (current). How close to the geographic center of Lawrence is the site under consideration?
§ Central Location (future). How does the site geographically fit into the predicted growth of Lawrence?
§ Compatible with Neighboring Land Uses. What are the current zoning classifications for adjacent property?
§ Expansion Potential. Is the site larger than the recommended site?
§ Future or Back-up E.O.C. (Dispatch, Emergency Management) Location Suitability. Is the site large enough to accommodate additional expansion?
§ On/Near Main Arteries. Is the site accessible from multiple access points and is the traffic flow adequate?
§ Public Accessibility. Does the public have access to the site from current public transportation, bike paths, and/or pedestrian paths?
§ Tower and Communications Support. Is the site elevation suitable for radio communications networks?
§ Visibility. How public (adjacency to and visibility from existing arterial, collector, and local streets) of a presence will the site allow the facility to be?
§ Site Constructability. What are the contours, grade, and public utilities available at the site?
§ Site Acquisition. What are the acquisition costs of the site?
Two recently added considerations discussed by staff include site proximity to certain locations within the City (e.g., County Jail, Courthouse, Municipal Court, City Hall, vehicle maintenance and fueling facilities, etc.) and the potential to locate additional City services on the site.
Preliminary Sites
Based upon the considerations the architectural team and staff compiled, a top site preliminarily identified for a facility was the property located at the southeast corner of Kasold Drive and Bob Billings Parkway. The City approached KU Endowment, the property owner, and The University of Kansas regarding locating a police facility on the property. On January 31, 2014, the City was notified by The University of Kansas that their long term plans for the property made it unwise to commit it to a non-University use at this time.
A next site preliminarily under consideration was the 29 acres of City-owned property located at Overland Drive and Wakarusa Drive. This property is still available.
Real Estate Proposals
In September of 2013, the City publically invited property owners and/or their representatives to submit proposals or information concerning their interest in selling property of approximately 12 to 15 acres to the City for a police facility and related functions use. The City received eight proposals which are presented in detail under the Police Department Facility link on the City website. They are also listed here for purposes of discussion:
§ One Riverfront Plaza, East Side.
§ 5651 West 6th Street.
§ K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange.
§ W. 31st Street.
§ Fairfield.
§ Mercato (northeast corner of the K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange).
§ Northeast corner of Wakarusa and Clinton Parkway.
§ Franklin Road.
Submitted Properties Evaluation
It is to be expected that not all of the sites under consideration will have all of the desirable qualities for use as a potential police facility. However, as a baseline for consideration, the site should:
§ meet the minimum recommended size requirement to ensure current and future needs;
§ provide for a building design affording adjacency factors programming and functionality; and
§ possess minimal physical, structural, or geographic attributes negatively impacting access, functionality, and security.
Full submitted property descriptions are available on the City’s website. The submitted real estate proposals were reviewed with consideration to all aforementioned criteria as set forth in such a manner as to not seek a point by point “score”, but rather to determine an overall general suitability to proceed further in the site evaluation and selection process. Later stages of evaluation would seek to weight certain location and physical attributes against each other as it is expected that each location would have advantages and disadvantages as compared to the others. This would likely include public input and additional architectural/engineering examination.
1. One Riverfront Plaza, East Side
The property offered is the east side of the Riverfront Plaza. The site does have some advantages to include proximity to other City government functions as well as a downtown location which is historically where City law enforcement has been located. The property also possesses attributes that would make it very difficult for use as the new police facility site:
§ Described size of approximately 2 acres is significantly below the recommended 13 acres. This severely limits space availability, future expansion capability, and additional potential use of the site. Additional exterior property for training or other use is not available.
§ The property is situated within a flood plain. This negatively impacts the physical security of the police facility in the event of a flooding event. Construction below grade to accommodate the recommended basement level may also be difficult and require additional expense.
§ There is an active railway running along the southeast edge of the property which would delay the emergency response of any vehicles utilizing this entrance during the times trains are approaching or in the crossing. This would be the entrance/exit most utilized by emergency vehicles.
§ The site is an existing structure/business and is situated along an acute longitudinal axis. This limits flexibility, design, and programming of adjacencies. Existing structural deficiencies would have to be remediated. The City’s experience with the Investigations and Training Center (ITC) over the last 12 years exemplifies the numerous structural, environmental, and security problems associated with attempting to convert a structure that was never envisioned as a public safety facility into one.
§ A shared facility (to include mechanical HVAC, electrical, generator, etc.) or access with any other partner other than a city service and/or other law enforcement entity would not be recommended due to security concerns, hours of operation and services provided, and the expectations of the adjoining business.
Although representing an infill opportunity for development, the site has too many critical deficiencies that cannot be overcome. It is not recommended that this site proceed further in the evaluation process.
2. 5651 West 6th Street
The property is located in the northwest portion of the City at the intersection of West 6th Street and George Williams Way. As such, the site has good visibility and access. The site is larger than the recommended size which would be advantageous for expansion and future use. This site is an example of a suitable site in the western portion of the City; however, this site must be compared to an already existing City owned 29 acre site located at Overland Drive and Wakarusa drive. It is recommended that this would preclude it’s advancement in the process at this time as the advantages of this site do not overcome the suitability of an already City owned site in the western portion of the City.
3. K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange
The property being offered is located at the northwest corner of the K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange in what is known as Gateway Village. The frontage of this property would have good visibility and access. Ample acreage is likely to be available which would be advantageous for current and future space needs. As with the 5651 West 6th Street location, this site is an example of a suitable site in the western portion of the City. This site must also be compared to the already existing City owned 29 acre site located at Overland Drive and Wakarusa drive. It is recommended that this would preclude it’s advancement in the process at this time as the advantages of this site do not overcome the suitability of an already City owned site in the western portion of the City.
4. West 31st Street
The property being offered is located along West 31st Street between Ousdahl Road and Louisiana Street. Up to 50 acres are available which would exceed the recommendations thereby accommodating current and future needs. The site is representative of a south/central location which has good access and visibility if the site includes the 31st Street frontage. There may be flood plain concerns at this site which would merit further examination. At this time, it is recommended that this site proceeds further in the evaluation process.
5. Fairfield
The property being offered are represented as Fairfield site A and site B. Site A is described as an eastern subdivision of 2501 Exchange Place while site B is located at the southwest corner of 25th Terrance and Franklin Road. Both sites offer up to 15 acres which would meet current and future space needs. The sites are representative of a southeastern location. Both sites are in close proximity to the County Jail which is likely to be a location the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office would look towards for their future expansion. Both sites are also within reasonably close proximity to City fleet maintenance facilities, radio maintenance facilities, and the Humane Society. It is recommended that one of the sites be selected to proceed further in the evaluation process.
6. Mercato (northeast corner of the K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange)
The property being offered is located at the northeast corner of the K-10 Highway and 6th Street interchange in what is known as Mercato. The frontage of this property would have good visibility and access. Ample acreage is likely to be available which would be advantageous for current and future space needs. As with the 5651 West 6th Street and Gateway village locations, this site is an example of a suitable site in the western portion of the City. This site must also be compared to the already existing City owned 29 acre site located at Overland Drive and Wakarusa drive. It is recommended that this would preclude it’s advancement in the process at this time as the advantages of this site do not overcome the suitability of an already City owned site in the western portion of the City.
7. Northeast corner of Wakarusa and Clinton Parkway
The property being offered is located at the northeast corner of Wakarusa and Clinton Parkway. The site would have good visibility and access along Wakarusa Drive. The site has two important disadvantages which negatively impacts its consideration as a police facility location. The first is the topography of the site. There is a large elevation change which may limit building design and space available for flat surface improvements such as parking areas. The second is that at 5 acres, the site does not meet the minimum recommended size requirement. This limits space availability, future expansion capability, and additional potential use of the site. Additional exterior property for training or other use is not available. It is not recommended that this site proceed further in the evaluation process.
8. Franklin Road
The property being offered is located along Thomas Court in what is referred to as MT. Blue Addition NO. 2. The site offers approximately 14 (lots: 4,5,6,7 and 8) acres which would meet current and future needs. This site shares some of the advantages of the Fairfield properties. It is recommended that this site be considered as a back-up to the Fairfield properties at this time.
9. Hallmark property east of McDonald Drive
Contact was made on the approximately 47 acres currently for sale on the east side of McDonald Drive north of the USD 497 administrative headquarters. The site has good adjacency to the Kansas Turnpike, with ability to access Iowa and points south. The site is only being currently offered for sale as a complete 47 acre transaction which is substantially more than is needed for the police facility, although there may be options for future property sale of excess property.
10. VenturePark – western lots adjacent to Douglas County Fairgrounds
The City owned Lawrence Venture Park property (Block ‘A’) can also be included for consideration as a site for a police facility. Lot 5 (6.3 acres) and Lot 6 (8.1 acres) in Block “A” provides adequate acreage per the earlier consultant study for a police facility. Public access can come from O’Connell Road, with secondary access on the western platted right-of-way. This site shares some of the advantages of the Fairfield and Franklin properties: close proximity to the County Jail, City fleet maintenance facilities, radio maintenance facilities, and the Humane Society. Additionally, new waterlines, sanitary sewer lines, and roads provide infrastructure support for the site minimizing this future cost for the facility.