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.