[Electronic-lan] Draft June minutes

[Gary Webber]

Dear LAN listserve recipients,

Happy Solstice!  I have attached the draft minutes for the June 20 meeting
and included them in the body of this message. The draft minutes may also be
viewed on the LAN website
<https://lawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com/2018/06/21/draft-june-20-2018-m
inutes/> . They will be considered for approval at the July 18 meeting.  

Next meeting:

7:00 pm, Wednesday, July 18

Meeting Room C, Lawrence Public Library

Best,

Gary Webber

LAN Secretary

  _____  

Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods Minutes

Lawrence Public Library, Meeting Room C

June 20th, 2018 7:00 p.m.

Participants: Bart Littlejohn, Pinckney Neighborhood Association
representative; Becky Pepper, City of Lawrence Planning and Development
Services; Bill Winkler, Barker Neighborhood Association; Cindy Suenram, East
Lawrence Neighborhood Association representative; Courtney Shipley, Dad
Perry Park/Kasold; Edna Mosher, Schwegler Neighborhood Association
co-representative; Eric Kirkendall, Old West Lawrence Association; Gary
Webber, Sunset Hill Neighborhood Association co-representative; Jane Gibson,
Barker Neighborhood Association representative; Jim Carpenter, Planning
Commission Member; Kathy Tuttle, Old West Lawrence Association; Kirk
McClure, Old West Lawrence Association; Lisa Larsen, Lawrence City
Commission / West Hills neighborhood resident; Melinda Henderson, Brook
Creek Neighborhood Association representative; Stuart Boley, Mayor City of
Lawrence, resident Schwegler; Suzanne Mills, Hills West Homes Neighborhood
Association representative; Travis Harrod, Springwood Heights
representative; Tresa Hill, Old West Lawrence Association

Announcements: Introductions

.         Shipley offered to send KU litter poster to neighborhoods

.         Edna Mosher will fill in as Secretary for August (Thanks Edna!)

Approve: May LAN minutes approved as read.

Treasurer's Report: Cindy Suenram reported the total amount in the bank
account to be $2,720.11.  There are 11 neighborhood members, 3 individual
members.

Update from City Planning Department: Becky Pepper, city planner - See
neighborhood updates at https://lawrenceks.org/pds/lan17/.

Discussion: Tresa Hill was present to discuss OWL's request for a safe
crossing on Tennessee. Kathy Tuttle representing OWL reviewed the history of
attempts to get a crossing of Tennessee at 8th or 7th.  Recently a poll
showed that over 150 OWL residents were concerned about safety while
walking.  She submitted a request for a crossing at 7th.  Traffic study
showed speeds of over 40 mph.  This creates a problem, since current policy
denies crosswalk where speeds exceed 40 mph.  Staff recommended denying the
request.  The Traffic Commission was sympathetic to the request, and
directed staff to include it on the list of projects. 

Tresa Hill described the prioritization policy for traffic calming
mediation.  She distributed copies of the recently approved policy and
discussed needed improvements. Section 4.2 describes pedestrian criteria.
Because Tennessee has less than 15,000 AADT, it received no safety points,
and only received a total of 7 points.  A maximum of 5 points available in
priority destinations discriminates against core neighborhoods that are near
many destinations.  In addition, many important destinations are missing.
Currently there are 125 projects with more than 7 points.  Fifty projects
have 50 points.  OWL suggests that LAN meet with Erin Paden, Stuart Boley,
and other stakeholders to review and revise policy. 

Kirkendall supported the proposal, and stated that he and his wife were
almost hit by a vehicle while crossing Tennessee.  He believes there are
problems that need to be solved.

Tuttle also mentioned that there is no officer assigned to enforcement, and
that speeding is a problem city-wide.  She believes that this needs to be
addressed. Littlejohn asked what would happen if such a meeting was
arranged.  Hill suggested that the participants could review the policy and
suggest improvements.

Mayor Boley quoted Amanda Sahin in her discussion of traffic calming in a
June 19th memorandum.  Sahin would like to utilize more tools to address
traffic calming, beyond engineering solutions.  Boley believes we need more
enforcement.  Vice Mayor Larsen also believes we need to take a more
comprehensive look at promoting pedestrian and bike safety. 

Webber mentioned that LiveWell HBE has a primary goal to review and revise
city codes to encourage walkability and bikeability.  He also stated that
engineering decisions were based of decades of research and masses of data.
Kirkendall mentioned that we have engineering; we need enforcement and
education as well.  Tuttle asked if LAN could invite Erin Paden, a city
engineer, and a representative of the Lawrence Police Department to a future
LAN meeting to discuss the prioritization policy.  Carpenter agreed that the
policy needs review.  

Webber moved to invite Paden and Sahin and an LPD representative to attend a
future LAN meeting to discuss the traffic calming prioritization policy.  

Updates: 

.         Housing Study: Shipley stated the city commission received a
preliminary housing study. 

.         Neighborhood reports

o   Sunset Hill: Webber suggested that the Transit Hub controversy was an
example of "Not In My Back Yard" (NIMBY), and that neighborhoods need to
consider the needs of the entire city, and not just the concerns of each
neighborhood.  Mosher suggested that a better option is the location at
Crestline at Bob Billings.  Webber supported the Crestline location, but
could not speak for the neighborhood association. Carpenter stated that
labeling comments as NIMBY stifles dissent, and that dissent is important.
He stated that if you believe your neighborhood is being disproportionally
impacted, you have a duty to dissent.

o   East Lawrence: Suenram described progress on Ninth Street project.  It
is still a work in progress.  Larsen stated the street infrastructure work
was authorized on June 19.

o   Schwegler: Mosher stated that she hopes LAN will support Schwegler's
efforts to oppose the Stewart Avenue Transit Hub location.

o   Brook Creek: Henderson stated that Brook Creek suffered for over a
decade dealing with 12th and Haskell recycling center.  The NA donated money
to force the city to enforce code and remove the center.  The business has
moved to a new location.  There was an explosion and fire there recently.
The Fire Department is investigating, and the city and KDHE are involved.

o   Barker: Barker is electing officers soon, and will hold a picnic at
Cotton's Hardware, 5-7 on Sunday, June 24. Winkler stated that graffiti is
being added to blank sides of buildings in the neighborhood.  Also,
sidewalks are being added to 15th, which will be great, but is disruptive.

o   Pinckney: Littlejohn stated that Pinckney also has some graffiti in
Sandra Shaw Park.  Fourth of July fireworks will be happening in Burcham
Park.  LMH has installed a new parking lot.  The neighborhood hopes the
western campus may reduce traffic and parking issues.

.         Henderson stated that designation as major traffic way is a state
designation designed to allow the city to bond improvement projects.  We do
not have a designation in our city system called "traffic way".  Such a
designation should not impact the city street designation. 

.         Henderson discussed loop funding.  Some advocates were surprised
that there was so much preliminary work to prepare for the downtown section
of the loop.  The city is talking with BNSF.  She wondered if we could use
current sales tax infrastructure funds from 2019 to make preparations.
Boley would like it moved forward, but was discouraged that the cost was
$3.5M.  Larsen and Boley suggest interested parties attend July 10 and
August 19 city commission meetings to provide their input.

Adjourn: A motion to adjourn passed unanimously.

 

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