Commission approves first reading to landmark First Presbyterian Church structure; directs review of context-area rules

The Lawrence City Commission on April 8, 2025, voted 5-0 to adopt on first reading ordinance 10117 designating the First Presbyterian Church building at 2415 Clinton Parkway as a structure-only landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places and directed staff and the Historic Resources Commission to review the city’s rules about context areas.

The designation recognizes the church’s architectural significance; staff and the applicant cited the 1968 design by architect Edward Sobek and argued the building meets the register’s architectural criteria. Supporters said the structure’s modern ecclesiastical design and intact exterior warrant local recognition.

Lynn Braddock Zollner, the city’s historic resources administrator, told commissioners the nomination had been revised to list only the church structure rather than the entire parcel, which reduced the number of adjoining properties within the landmark’s context area. Zollner explained the city’s chapter 22 language uses a 250-foot context radius: if a structure on a parcel falls inside that radius, the entire parcel is considered part of the context area. She said staff is proposing code revisions (to be discussed at the Historic Resources Commission) that would, among other changes, clarify the definition of “structure” so features such as fences would not pull a parcel into a context area.

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