Committee forwards multiple parking requests, asks police and DPW to review school parking plan

The Lawrence City Ordinance Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Nov. 12 voted to refer multiple parking requests to the Lawrence Police Department and the Department of Public Works for review and requested additional agency input before school parking changes move to a public hearing.

The committee agreed to consider a block of four handicap‑parking documents together and voted to send them to the police department for review. Chair Mark LaPlain asked that those site‑specific items be checked by enforcement and DPW staff before any change is finalized.

A proponent for the school department told the committee the department seeks exclusive teacher parking at streets adjacent to Oliver School during the school year — weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. from September to June — enforced with decals issued by the parks department. "They would like exclusive use... we would give out stickers," the presenter said, describing a sticker system and saying weekends, holidays and summer months would remain open.

LaPlain said he wanted a written review from both DPW and the Lawrence Police Department so the council would not be "blindsided" by later objections. "I would like for us to get something from the DPW and from the police department in our normal course of business," he said.

The committee moved and unanimously approved sending the school‑parking documents to both DPW and the police for review and tabling advancement pending those comments. The committee also voted to send other individual parking items — including removing a handicap space at 203 West Street, childcare parking on Flat Street and a 15‑minute parking request at 64 Berkeley Street — to the police department for review or to full council when a public hearing is required.

Those referrals are advisory; final changes will require subsequent administrative review and, where required, a public hearing before full council.