Council OKs rezoning of parcel on Madison Street from industrial to single‑family at owner’s request

The Lawrence City Council approved a zoning change Aug. 19 to reclassify a parcel on Madison Street (Map 177, Lot 5) from I‑1 Industrial Park to R‑1 Single Family. The applicant, Lonnie Vasquez Figueroa, told the council he wants the rezoning so the parcel can be sold and developed as a single‑family house; he said industrial zoning leaves the 10,000‑square‑foot lot effectively unusable for industrial development at that location. Planning staff and the ordinance committee recommended the rezoning, saying the lot sits at the edge of the industrial zone, is more suitable for residential reuse and would add to the city tax base if redeveloped. The council voted to approve and waived the 30‑day waiting period so the change can proceed more quickly. Councilors asked about lot size and context; staff said the parcel is roughly the size of a buildable residential lot in that neighborhood and that rezoning would enable more productive private use than leaving it in industrial classification. The council’s vote authorizes the zoning-map amendment as described in the public notice; implementation will follow the city’s permitting and subdivision rules if development proceeds.