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

Tue Dec 11 19:57:57 CST 2018

 Climate Destruction on top of community destruction ........ well excuse me!
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sierraclub.org%2Fsprawl%2Freport00%2Fintro.asp&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C459ac673576a46bf4a6a08d65fd53e58%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636801766808345139&sdata=RGqQONXEzxwIBUeiUf52KPXKWdw6F8YwUbPRYaqaCWg%3D&reserved=0
Dickie Heckler
    On Monday, December 10, 2018, 6:56:23 PM CST, Eric Kirkendall via Electronic-lan <electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu> wrote:  

 Relevant to our discussion at the last LAN meeting..
Regards, Eric

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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. 
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 HolcombeModerator 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%7C459ac673576a46bf4a6a08d65fd53e58%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636801766808345139&sdata=mEzP52Iot5JLqEYCShT6BH9qy9HJ7fWgmez0DDzhwH4%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. 

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%7C459ac673576a46bf4a6a08d65fd53e58%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C1%7C636801766808345139&sdata=SeBud2sllYDNbtMZsUic3DXDNGDup05jEvLO9eqb4vw%3D&reserved=0

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