The Lawrence Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a request to install a 5-foot sidewalk on one side of Bluffs Drive instead of the two-sided sidewalk normally required by the subdivision regulations. Planning staff presented the item as a variance tied to a minor subdivision and rezoning for a portion of 2000 Bluffs Drive.

"This item is a variance request from the subdivision regulations and the public improvement standard that requires public sidewalks to be installed on both sides of all streets," said Avery Kerner, planner with the Planning Office. Kerner told commissioners that Bluff Drive has steep topography on the eastern side and that strict application of the code would create a hardship for the subdivider.

Staff found the proposal met the three variance criteria in the code: that strict application would create an unnecessary hardship, that the request was in harmony with the purpose of the regulations, and that it would not harm public health, safety or welfare. The city engineer also reviewed the proposal and "expressed their support for approval," Kerner said.

An applicant representative told the commission the project will tie a new sidewalk to the existing sidewalk on East Sixth Street and provide a looped connection that reaches the Sixth Street crosswalk. The applicant also said site constraints, including an adjacent property that intrudes on right-of-way on the northeast side, limit the ability to install sidewalk on both sides.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed crossing would be placed on a curve and whether sight distance would be adequate. Kerner and the applicant said final sidewalk alignment will be refined with Municipal Services & Operations review and that sight-distance concerns would be addressed in those final plans.

A motion to approve the variance from section 20-1111(c)(1)(i) of the subdivision regulations to allow a sidewalk on only one side of Bluffs Drive carried after the vote. The commission approved the variance; the item will proceed under the minor subdivision administrative review.

The commission did not condition the variance on additional design changes at the meeting; staff and MSO will finalize crossing locations and construction details during permit review.