October 23, 2006

To the honorable mayor, Mike Amyx,  and city commissioners,

With this letter, I am representing the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods (LAN). LAN has several concerns related to the preliminary development plan by 6WAKLAND Investments for the following reasons:

• The traffic impact study is atypical. It was done in June and does not reflect traffic conditions that exist during most of the year.
• The market impact study confuses regional and neighborhood commercial land uses. The study points out that northwest Lawrence lacks retail space, but suggests that the solution is retail with regional pull. Regional retail space is planned further west by the city.
• The market impact study is not viable, because there was no consideration of the economic impacts of this large retailer. Another grocery store, for example, would be devastating to the existing grocery stores in the area.
• The design is not in compliance with the new Commercial Design Standards. Approving a variance to these new standards will set a precedent that will weaken the city’s ability to influence design in the future.

The area is zoned neighborhood commercial. The proposal before you compromises the neighborhoods in this area. The city has been putting a great deal of effort into more comprehensive planning. Varying the new design standards, massaging market realities, and accepting a faulty traffic impact study would set a precedent that would make it difficult to enforce planning and development standards in the future.

Sincerely,

Carol Bowen, vice president, LAN

403 Dakota Street

Lawrence, KS 66046