[Electronic-lan] Fwd: Request to Attend Planning Commission Dec. 17 - Urgent Need to be Present and Comment if so Inclined

[Eric Kirkendall]

Relevant to our discussion at the last LAN meeting..

Regards, Eric


---------------------
sent by phone, often dictated, & often with typos

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Thad Holcombe <tjholcombe at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 10, 2018, 3:29 PM
Subject: Request to Attend Planning Commission Dec. 17 - Urgent Need to be
Present and Comment if so Inclined
To:


Our hope is that we have a good attendance at the Planning Commission
Meeting on Dec. 17...our concerns are summarized in this note, but you may
have your own concerns after reviewing the 2040 Plan. It can be a bit
overwhelming, which is a good reason to come and listen if you prefer so as
to get a sense of what is being addressed and what are some concerns. I,
for one, will be make another public comment suggesting that the
Environmental Chapter of the 2040 Plan be inserted early in the plan and
that it be expanded using the 2020 Plan chapter on the Environment as a
resource, thus enhancing the content and specifics.

Regardless...the *Urgency of a plan that confirms consequences of climate
change is much needed. I was able to read the recent article by Bill
McKibben, "Life on a Shrinking Planet", Nov. 26, The New Yorker and/or
an *article
from the Minneapolis MN area which illustrates how most localities are
rearranging the local land use "deck chairs", while the big picture issues
like climate disruption and loss of biodiversity go unremarked - Everyone’s
2040 Plan Sucks
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreets.mn%2F2018%2F11%2F07%2Feveryones-2040-plan-sucks%2F%3Futm_source%3DSightline%2520Institute%26utm_medium%3Dweb-email%26utm_campaign%3DSightline%2520News%2520Selections&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C0fe7c0dcf1314b306cb608d65f037109%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636800865723763189&sdata=n4E%2F%2FJnaG6DUsaZ%2BHhmw9abtjnpGBnbLCn7az8h5w7w%3D&reserved=0>
.

I do think, and hope I am not being naive, that the Douglas County Planning
Commission is open to our comments and needs our support to counter what
has been in the past a tendency to confirm "growth" without consideration
of the environment. Instead concerns about "profit and loss" neglects the
consequences of climate change today and as it increases in the future.

Hope to see you on the 17th - and invite others.

Thad Holcombe
Moderator of LETUS

Douglas County Environmental Community,

The Douglas County Comprehensive Plan, Horizon 2020, is the plan that
guides all development in Lawrence and the county.  It spells out how
sprawl, growth, environmental and conservation issues, and development will
be handled. It is the "Bible" that determines how this county will develop
and/or how it will be preserved.  Over the past few years a steering
committee has been working to revise Horizon 2020.   The new revised  plan,
Plan 2040, is ready to be presented to the Planning Commission.  That will
happen at the Nov 12 and Dec 17 meetings.  If/when the Planning Commission
recommends approval it will go to the City and County Commissions for
approval.

We have serious concerns about the new  Plan 2040.  It's not so much what
is *in* the new plan as what is *not*.  We chose to limit the scope of our
review to chapter 6, "Natural Resources" of the new Plan 2040, and compare
it to the corresponding chapter,  "Environment", ch 16  of the "old"
Horizon 2020  The Environment chapter of "old" H2020 was specific, thorough
and organized.  It contained background information, specific goals,
implementation strategies and recommendations for regulations, incentives
and education.  The new "Natural Resources" chapter of Plan 2040 has
omitted most of these.  The Environment chapter of H2020 was 30 pages long,
the Natural Resources chapter of  2040 is 4 1/2  pages, much of which is
pictures.  But to understand this you must carefully compare the old plan
with the new.

When comparting the two plans,  we suggest you  print out corresponding
chapters and find identical topics and read them side by side.  Do you
think the new Plan is as effective as the old H2020?  Does it have the
teeth?

If you too have concerns, please come to the Planning Commission meeting,
6:30 pm,  Dec. 17 at City Hall.  If possible write a letter, and stand up
and voice your concerns!

To access both plans, go to:
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceks.org%2Fpds%2Fcomp-plan%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C0fe7c0dcf1314b306cb608d65f037109%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636800865723763189&sdata=JvR9gSLRbDVWZlYw0Xg6t67TEP6buoAnKcrThp4vLXk%3D&reserved=0
(Scroll down to "Documents" to find the existing Horizon 2020.)

If you write letters, they must be to the Planning Office by Dec. 14 (end
of this week!)  Send to:

*Cityhall at lawrenceks.org <Cityhall at lawrenceks.org>. *
Or if you can't get  your letter in that soon send them to individual
Planning Commissioners at:
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceks.org%2Fboards%2Flawrence-douglas-county-metropolitan-planning-commission%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C0fe7c0dcf1314b306cb608d65f037109%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636800865723763189&sdata=Ze7XUzcPrjD1MBJ0datGw7Z%2B8DMB4H0thMDjQ2bWATo%3D&reserved=0
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