Lawrence council approves rezoning of Jackson Street from R‑2 to B‑1

The Lawrence City Council on Tuesday approved a zoning-map amendment to reclassify 22 parcels on Jackson Street, from Irving Street at the Spicket River up to Kendrick Street, from Residential R‑2 to Local Business District B‑1.

City planning staff presented the council with an analysis showing the area contains about 25 buildings across the 22 parcels and that only two properties currently conform to the R‑2 residential designation. The staff presentation said the B‑1 designation "is actually a more appropriate designation than the residential 2," given existing mixed residential and business uses in the corridor.

The change follows a notice filed under the public hearing provisions cited in the agenda (referencing Chapter 40, Section 5 of state law in the meeting notice) and a Lawrence Planning Board notice of decision in support of the change. The planning-board decision was noted in the meeting record as a 4–2 vote in favor.

Councilor Loclan, who spoke in favor of approving the amendment, said the move reflects current conditions on the street and stressed the longer-term consequences of past enforcement gaps: "These votes are important. What's important is making sure our departments are doing what they're supposed to be doing." Loclan said similar mixed-use, nonconforming situations probably exist elsewhere in the city.

Councilors first tabled the item briefly to allow the sponsoring councilor to be present, then later removed it from the table and voted to approve the map amendment. The meeting transcript records the vote as passing with the chair saying, "The ayes have it." The council did not record a roll-call tally in the portion of the transcript provided.

Why it matters: The rezoning formally aligns zoning with existing uses along Jackson Street, which city staff and at least one property owner have said already include businesses and offices in older houses. The council and staff framed the change as an administrative correction to reflect on-the-ground conditions rather than adoption of a new development plan.

Next steps: The amendment was acted on by the full council on June 3; any further administrative steps (e.g., updating the official zoning map or appeals periods) were not detailed in the portion of the transcript provided.