The Salina City Commission voted to amend the Pioneer President’s Place planned development district Sept. 22, renaming it RL Lofts PDD and removing the longtime age restriction so the two converted school buildings can be occupied by residents of all ages. The ordinance also allows two ground signs (one for each building), accepts the site’s existing 58 off‑street parking spaces in lieu of the R‑3 requirement of 102 spaces, and approves an updated landscape plan subject to meeting the city’s front‑yard tree‑unit requirement.

City staff described the property: the former Roosevelt and Lincoln school buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and were redeveloped in the mid‑2000s for elderly housing (55+). The applicant sought permission to convert the occupancy to general multifamily use (61 total dwelling units, 49 one‑bedroom and 12 two‑bedroom units), keep existing parking (two lots with 29 spaces each), and retain modified setbacks previously approved under the PDD. The Planning Commission recommended approval with conditions, including that the applicant submit a revised preliminary development plan showing at least 42 tree units in the front‑yard setback area and that the final site plan return to the Planning Commission for review.

Applicant representatives and project consultants described efforts to preserve historic fabric, explained why they requested a parking reduction (citing proximity to existing public parking, transit access and precedent in similar historic projects), and said the project will include a long‑term affordability covenant for much of the property under state programs while allowing some market‑rate units. Heritage Commission and Design Review Board approval of the design and signage was noted.

Public comment included concerns about resident notifications and property maintenance; one commenter said residents were given only days’ notice to vacate units that a staff memo and earlier assessment had described as in disrepair. Commissioners discussed reliance on nearby on‑street and public parking, the site’s downtown transit access, and options such as reserved accessible stalls. The mayor and a majority of commissioners said historic preservation and infill goals favor adaptive reuse and that the modification maintains the residential use without increasing units or building footprint, while Commissioner Davis voted no citing parking and process concerns.

The ordinance passed by roll call 4‑1 (Davis opposed). Conditions specified by the Planning Commission — including a revised tree plan and final site plan review — will apply before the developer may implement further changes.