Weeklong planning "charrette" kicks off Wednesday
Opening session: 6:30 p.m., Jan. 31, in the City Commission Room, City Hall, 6 East 6th Street
After weeks of interviews and research, "We know one thing for sure," says architect Susan Henderson, principal in the PlaceMakers consulting firm. "Citizens of Lawrence love their town. And while they may disagree on strategies, they are passionate about many common goals and eager to participate in planning for the future. That promises to make this week an exciting and rewarding experience for us all."
Henderson's firm will lead the charrette, an intensive workshop that involves near-round-the-clock planning and design work in almost continuous consultation with citizens. The charrette will draft optional "overlay" plans for targeted areas within Lawrence's Urban Growth Boundary. These plans, which are likely to be available as parallel codes with existing zoning, allow for channeling growth in ways that reflect citizens' desire for growth that maximizes overall value for both individual property owners and for the community at large.
General principles for Lawrence's preferred growth patterns emerged through a series of community discussions, planning exercises, and growth analyses that began more than a decade ago with the beginnings of the Horizon 2020 plan and continued through the recent rewrite of Lawrence's development code and the draft report by the AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team. Many specific strategies exist to achieve goals, but there seems to be agreement among citizens to favor rules that discourage out-of-control sprawl; protect sensitive areas; preserve open space; and enable walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, both within older areas of the city and in new developments.
The charrette will explore these priorities in public conversations and feedback sessions during the week. And PlaceMakers planners and designers will craft regulating principles, site plans, and renderings that respond to these community priorities. This event is a fast-track, collaborative approach to an immediately implementable plan that will help Lawrence consolidate and advance all its previous planning efforts.
Already, team members have visited Lawrence to speak with cross-sections of officials, neighborhood groups, and business and construction industry leaders to learn about the issues and concerns of Lawrence. The key now is participation by citizens, neighborhood groups, developers and builders.
"I look forward to coming out of this process with a document to guide planning, as well as models for future development for many years into the future," says Vice Mayor Sue Hack. "Talking with stakeholders and working with the community to achieve this blueprint is what will make this process a success."
Be sure to check the complete charrette schedule and revisit this site regularly for updates before and during the charrette. Want to contribute before the charrette starts? Click here to share the ideas and growth concerns that are important to you.
