[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6217207,"mediaKeyId","3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30","parentId",3648209,"title","Riverfront preliminary plat deferred 60 days after lessees raise notice, easement and safety concerns","audioSeconds",826,"startMs",3644000,"endMs",4470000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30&start=3644&end=4470","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30/thumbnail_3644000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6217207/Lawrence/Douglas-County/Kansas/Riverfront-preliminary-plat-deferred-60-days-after-lessees-raise-notice-easement-and-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217207-f93238bea236717a6bc11f53244f544c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149578&Signature=G8kETUiZiZY7~w~zJ6rSnWEj51dIIEyRiipv7M5I~Py4BKbrrU68ZlmYSazNTfKAu3Orz2UrU2YzPc72N5I1RKqwUF9X9DQ-fVm0T5ESTNIyBeBz4nGickyG5WcFlcN-GOeFQjhpZfJjIzTZHhGwToIxDbw0bN3jANcfWBXSGCv5vMJJ2rBYK6Rs0CD6KQY-QrvHU2kDjgHxS~HG3K5uKwScr491oV-CQhRGV~VI2-mdx6osL9~bX9VSFvEwzvsxphLKtXN3BJn-Tw3QpeHCPoXAJmnKIytArTMAlVNKchcnw9vqP8xavHg0p~LWg3sFGdCE2cFQHc~CeXMEjEwqgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lenexa , KS","date","2025-05-29T13:44:13Z","article","The Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on May 28 voted to defer consideration of the Riverfront Addition preliminary plat for 60 days after public commenters — including long-term tenants of city land — said they had not received timely notice and need time to review historical agreements and access easements.

\"We do support the general concept of replatting this area,\" said Sarah Hill Nelson, representing Bowersock Mills and Power Company, during public comment. \"But we are here to request that the planning commission would consider tabling this for 60 days.\" Nelson told the commission she and other tenants only learned in the days before the meeting that the city had submitted a replat and that Bowersock needed time to have counsel and technical staff review lease, easement and access agreements that may be affected.

Luke Mortensen, planner with the Planning and Development Services Department, described the proposed Riverfront Addition as a consolidation of existing development into three blocks and five lots to create clearer property boundaries around existing buildings, including City Hall, Bowersock operations, Abe & Jake's, SpringHill Suites and a city-owned parking area. Mortensen and staff recommended three variances: (1) frontage/access variances for Block 1 lots separated from public right-of-way by the Massachusetts Street bridal deck and BNSF railroad; (2) a reduced lot width for Block 2 Lot 1 (City Hall) from 200 feet required in the P-1 district to 57 feet at the 15-foot front setback; and (3) a reduced right-of-way width for East Sixth Street from 80 feet to 60 feet.

In public comment, tenants raised two central concerns: notification and private easements and leases that may affect rights to access and use portions of the reconfigured parcels. Sarah Hill Nelson said the BNSF railroad regularly stops and blocks access near the riverfront, creating public-safety concerns for users of Burcham Park, and asked the city to consider egress or other safety measures while the plat is reviewed.

Deputy City Attorney Randy Larkin told the commission that plat review is ministerial: \"If the applicant meets all the requirements for a plat, they get it. And if they don't meet it, they don't get it. So whether or not there's agreements that might impact, the rights between the city and Bowersock have nothing to do with a plat,\" Larkin said, noting private agreements are not evaluated by the commission in the plat-review process. He also said variance requests are discretionary and remain subject to the commission's judgment.

Commissioners discussed the adequacy of mailed notice (code requires mailed notice to owners within 200 feet) and the distinction between property owners (who receive mailed notice) and tenants or lessees (who may not receive mailed notice). Several commissioners said they were sympathetic to tenants' request for time to review titles and agreements; one commissioner said the lack of tenant awareness suggested a communications gap.

After debate, the commission voted 6–3 to defer the item for 60 days and directed staff to receive and consider new feedback from parties who came forward at the hearing and return any materially new information for commission consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lenexa City Planning Commission Meeting- 05/28/2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","The Planning Commission deferred action on the Riverfront Addition preliminary plat for 60 days after Bowersock Mills and other lessees requested more time to review decades-old leases, easements and public-safety issues near the BNSF railroad.","taxTitle","Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas","taxId",3971,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6217212,"Commission approves preliminary plat and sidewalk/right-of-way variances for Lawrence Regional Airport",2359,1183000,3542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30&start=1183&end=3542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30/thumbnail_1183000.jpg","/articles/6217212/Lawrence/Douglas-County/Kansas/Commission-approves-preliminary-plat-and-sidewalkright-of-way-variances-for-Lawrence-Regional-Airport","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217212-1a252edd70cf54b8d338f3faee68b225/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149578&Signature=VNnf6YwnVTa76dKB8dtwbJk6rZYtrnEC2CrarnRjyL8E5jlD90GbWmGE0kTko-v9AfXOCj8T-Tb031imMvWSDKdfwN2D0JJWxSNDnYqFKeOQzadUxHvIX7Svc4kgxQIb8mCbTxPzg1LMSJ0TEklU7klMJIPjuWBZxKZ2ndh5E6MACEQFWzV8lLqn14mYMuBZfzeK0EvPFsCFEU0MEoQcSGGI6rV0-46vMx-H2U0FsV~Ik4~ofYllRvmx8y6aG9hYMU7N0e4KRGIDRNEuJhY1BpBrI8b06neSbd5THS4uJBa2oKW80~lsQmmyh5czH7U-ddjZ9QWCalBz4vBqLXCk9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on May 28 approved a preliminary plat and multiple variances that reconfigure platted lots and easements across the Lawrence Regional Airport property.

\"This project is, as Sandy said, simply to allow future development at the airport,\" said Aaron Parker, senior project engineer assigned to the replat. Parker described a downstream sanitary sewer analysis, a concept-level land-side report and an in-house drainage review that indicated no flood issues with current conditions.

Planning staff described the filing as largely an administrative cleanup to dissolve interior lot lines and establish clear building restriction lines and easements on more than 500 acres the city owns north and south of U.S. 40. Sandy Day of the Planning Office told commissioners the city is requesting deferral of sidewalk construction until an updated airport master plan and airport layout plan clarify future internal circulation and drainage.

Staff recommended several variances: deferral of sidewalks on both sides of Airport Road and on segments of Bryant Way, Seventh Street and Eleventh Street; and reduced right-of-way widths for several streets (examples included reducing a principal arterial right-of-way to not less than 66 feet and collector streets to 70 or 60 feet depending on location). The city engineer, county engineer and KDOT reviewed the concept and signed off on the approach, staff said. Parker told the commission the city’s capital improvement program includes a funded lift station to serve the airport when development thresholds are met, and that traffic-impact studies and drainage work will be required with future development proposals.

Airport manager Scott Wagner, on the call, said the airport master plan update is underway and the consultant expects completion in the third quarter of this year.

Several motions were made and approved: to waive certain sidewalk requirements, to reduce right-of-way widths as outlined in staff recommendations, and to approve preliminary plat 25-0006 for Lawrence Regional Airport. Commissioners voted unanimously on the three actions at the meeting.

The approvals leave remaining design-level requirements and project-specific studies to be completed with future site plans and development applications; staff and consultants will require traffic and drainage studies, and the city will construct a lift station through its capital program when conditions warrant.","Planning commissioners approved a preliminary plat and multiple variances for the 500+-acre Lawrence Regional Airport property, deferring sidewalk construction until future airport master-plan–driven development and reducing several right-of-way width requirements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6217217,"Planning commission approves variance to install sidewalk on one side of Bluffs Drive",619,520000,1139000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30&start=520&end=1139","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3648209-2af52620bb5d34957c29bcbcf5626c30/thumbnail_520000.jpg","/articles/6217217/Lawrence/Douglas-County/Kansas/Planning-commission-approves-variance-to-install-sidewalk-on-one-side-of-Bluffs-Drive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217217-b075f825df5f036acfae4ddf38b86e92/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149578&Signature=mRNffQ99Qd9DodXTHK8DzAWDLibR2UwKb3kZgo5farfm9IeCzngP6YCHJtkg~A9JaGiJLsidqubQAc2khBpHgTiiQmqIvDXvXLn-2-kFnAiSzN930QOStrEYGENAKlZLJYPJ-lNH61fLOdz7iJBsJayUBvC1~WC5Peb70tRB6VOqiuz76vakbexB7cD0WpMG4IIOtRgB3mtuqjEv2x-64Bq-Hf6WWBnkmrXQVIiZqeDo6zVJ4RaztH3bBaLJGGj~RIyBxMc83Jc4zsiyOc2yp6nv6NXuCcdvQ0grcAaMraonKzcJRyCEN6iFht~91psY~YaQ4aV2J71jhj8f-eyRsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a request to install a 5-foot sidewalk on one side of Bluffs Drive instead of the two-sided sidewalk normally required by the subdivision regulations. Planning staff presented the item as a variance tied to a minor subdivision and rezoning for a portion of 2000 Bluffs Drive.

\"This item is a variance request from the subdivision regulations and the public improvement standard that requires public sidewalks to be installed on both sides of all streets,\" said Avery Kerner, planner with the Planning Office. Kerner told commissioners that Bluff Drive has steep topography on the eastern side and that strict application of the code would create a hardship for the subdivider.

Staff found the proposal met the three variance criteria in the code: that strict application would create an unnecessary hardship, that the request was in harmony with the purpose of the regulations, and that it would not harm public health, safety or welfare. The city engineer also reviewed the proposal and \"expressed their support for approval,\" Kerner said.

An applicant representative told the commission the project will tie a new sidewalk to the existing sidewalk on East Sixth Street and provide a looped connection that reaches the Sixth Street crosswalk. The applicant also said site constraints, including an adjacent property that intrudes on right-of-way on the northeast side, limit the ability to install sidewalk on both sides.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed crossing would be placed on a curve and whether sight distance would be adequate. Kerner and the applicant said final sidewalk alignment will be refined with Municipal Services & Operations review and that sight-distance concerns would be addressed in those final plans.

A motion to approve the variance from section 20-1111(c)(1)(i) of the subdivision regulations to allow a sidewalk on only one side of Bluffs Drive carried after the vote. The commission approved the variance; the item will proceed under the minor subdivision administrative review.

The commission did not condition the variance on additional design changes at the meeting; staff and MSO will finalize crossing locations and construction details during permit review.","The Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on May 28 approved a variance allowing a 5-foot sidewalk on one side of Bluffs Drive adjacent to a minor replat of a portion of 2000 Bluffs Drive, citing steep topography and construction difficulty on the east side.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Riverfront preliminary plat deferred 60 days after lessees raise notice, easement and safety concerns

Commission approves preliminary plat and sidewalk/right-of-way variances for Lawrence Regional Airport

Planning commission approves variance to install sidewalk on one side of Bluffs Drive