Neighbors score stormwater, access and safety concerns as Planning Commission recommends denial of Jayhawk Club Lot 5 plan

The Lawrence–Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on Sept. 22 voted 4–3 to recommend denial of a preliminary development plan for Jayhawk Club Lot 5, a proposed 200‑unit apartment complex within the Jayhawk Club/Alva Mar planned development.

Planner Sandy Day told commissioners that staff had reviewed the application under the 2025 Land Development Code and that the project complies with the applicable provisions at the preliminary stage, subject to technical conditions. "Staff is recommending approval of the preliminary development plan, and there were those conditions that I mentioned," Day said during her presentation.

The applicant and engineers stressed that studies had been completed and that design steps would limit increases in surface runoff. Lance Adams of Adams Architects said the project was reduced to 200 units "so the applicant revised their project, reduced the number of units to comply with that access requirement" and noted the developer had worked with city staff on grading and drainage plans. Storm Engineering's Chris Storm described how detention ponds and underdrains would be used, giving an illustrative example: "If that developed flow in a hundred‑year storm…