Memorandum

City of Lawrence – Douglas County

Planning & Development Services

To:	Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission
From:	Planning Staff
Date:	For July 21, 2014 Planning Commission Meeting
RE:	The Links – Queens Road Improvements

Staff has received several communications from property owners on the east side of Queens Road regarding the improvement of Queens Road as it relates to The Links development project.  This email provides information on the current status of this matter.

Queens Road is currently unimproved in terms of meeting city standards even though the majority of the property on the east side of Queens Road is developed to urban standards.  Most of these properties, when originally platted, were required to enter into an “Agreement Not to Protest the Formation of a Benefit District” for future street and sidewalk improvements.  Such agreements reflect the developer’s and/or future owner’s acceptance to be part of a special assessment benefit district established to finance street improvements (street, sidewalk, storm water, etc.).  Westwood Hills, Park West, and Overland Pointe subdivisions on the east side of Queens Road have such agreements.  Some of these properties are primarily owner-occupied and some are rental developments.

As the properties on the west side of Queens Road have gained zoning entitlements, they too have entered into such agreements.  These include Hunter’s Ridge, Kellyn Addition, and The Links.  Queens Road is currently included in the city’s capital improvement plan for design in 2016 and construction in 2017, though this is subject to change and the benefit district may be formed earlier.

At present, city staff plans on recommending to the City Commission that the benefit district be formed for the properties deriving benefit from its improvement, but that the city pay the assessments for all of the properties located on the east side of Queens Road that are owner-occupied.  Several options exist for the city commission’s eventual consideration as noted on the attached maps.  None of these options have been determined at this point, nor has the decision as to what, if any, portion of the assessments the city at large will pay.