The Lawrence Common Council voted to approve Resolution number 8 20 25 on Dec. (date not specified), creating the Sunnyside–Oakland Economic Development Area and advancing a broad economic development plan for the neighborhood.

Russell Brown, an attorney with Clark Quinn representing the redevelopment commission, told the council the plan includes the statutory findings required to designate an economic development area and a set of broadly drafted permissible goals. "There is no TIF area proposed with this," Brown said, adding the plan is intended to give the commission flexibility to consider projects in the future and that specific projects would come back with detailed financials.

Why it matters: designating an economic development area allows the redevelopment commission to consider tools such as property acquisition, demolition, and preparing land for development, and—under separate steps—participate in residential housing activities where state law permits. Brown told the council that the 2019 legislative changes permit redevelopment commissions to participate in housing projects under additional requirements, such as neighborhood meetings and, in some cases, school participation.

Council discussion was brief but supportive. A council member asked Brown to explain "number 4" in the plan; Brown described the statutory framework and reiterated the plan does not require the commission to act on any of the listed tools. Michael Townsend, identified in the meeting as a council appointee to the redevelopment commission, said the designation "enables us to designate this area for redevelopment activities" and called it a positive step to allow future projects.

A city resident, Daniel Ralph of 5718 Waldenwood Drive, urged greater transparency and said he had requested documentation from the city and had not received it: "I have yet to get anything back from the City of Lawrence," Ralph said, and encouraged property owners between Sunnyside and Oakland to attend the redevelopment commission’s public hearing, which he said is scheduled for Dec. 18.

Next steps: Brown said that if the council sends a favorable recommendation, the redevelopment commission will advertise and hold a public hearing and then may adopt the plan; any future allocation area (a TIF) or project-level proposal would require additional steps and specific financial details. The council announced the resolution passed; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally or the names of the motion mover or seconder.

The redevelopment commission’s public hearing and any subsequent project proposals will be the next opportunities for formal public input and for the council to see project-level financials.