University Daily Kansan / Monday, October 24, 1988
WESTWARD HO!
9
Movement west appeals to local developers
Growth mostly residential, city planner says
By Daniel Niemi
Kansan staff writer
For many Americans, growth and progress have been associated with a movement toward an aversion. In evidence, this trend is evident in the study of
Growth in Lawrence has taken a turn for the west, with residential and business construction marking the landscape where once only farmland and natural terrain existed.
The Brandon Woods Complex, at 13th Street and Wakaraura Drive is one example of the recent relocation of the complex.
Diane Mullens, a city planner who is part of a committee preparing the Western Development Plan, said most of the growth in western Lawrence would be residential.
David Slack, president of Retirement Management Co., the operator of Brandon Woods, said the company decided to build the complex to capitalize on the demand to move to Lawrence.
He said one-third of the people moving to the complex were from outside Douglas County.
"it's kind of an exciting phenomenon that I didn't expect when we moved to Lawrence to build Brandon
According to statistics compiled by the Lawrence Planning Office, 2,386 lots are available for single-family homes, and about 500 others for community area. The area is bordered by Clinton Parkway on the south, U.S. 40 on the north, Kashkadr Drive on the west.
Mullens said 20 to 30 percent of the lots already had been developed.
In addition to single-family lots, the zoning and planning of the area allows for 375 apartments, 440 duplexes and townhomes, and 397 congregate care beds.
The planning office predicts 3,141 doullings and a population of 9,764 for the area when it is fully developed.
"We've established western Lawrence as our primary growth area because of geography," said City Commissioner Sandra Prager. "We're between the middle and the east. The only easy land to develop is the west."
Mullens said that until the Western Development Plan is complete an approved by the planning commission, development would be controlled by existing sub-division regulations, zoning, and Plan 95.
David Moss, project manager for Pinnacle apartments, said 152 units should be completed in June, with the rest reserved.
Mullens the Western Development Plan should be sent to the planning commission in December. Plan 95 is the city's guide that outlines concepts and standards for growth.
The most visible movement west is in the Pinnacle apartments, the Brandon Woods retirement complex, the Quail Run subdivision and the Pioneer Ridge West subdivision.
he said the complex would be comprised of 60 skilled nursing beds, 20 assisted living suites, 100 apartments and 10 condoiminiums for a total of 150,000 square feet of space site. He said the cost of the project was $8.3 million.
of the year. He said the project would cost $5 million. Brandon Woods will complete its second phase of the project.
East of the Hall-Kimbell Environmental Services complex is the Quail Run subdivision. John McGrew, president of McGrew Real Estate Inc., said about 120 homes in the area were placed and that the first phase of 60 lots was nearly sold.
He said a second phase of 30 to 60 lots could begin as early as next year.
"We try to watch the market," McGrew said. "We may be somewhat overbuilt this year. Last year, demand exceeded supply and we had a great sales turnover. We have a few more houses in inventory than we'd like."
MGrew said the opening of the Quail Run Elementary School had been a catalyst for housing develop-
At Sixth Street and Wakarina Drive, 64 lots are being developed in the Pioneer Ridge West subdivision. Mark Bulher, sales manager of Stephens Real Estate, said 29 of the lots had been sold.
West of Wakaraura Drive, an 18-hole golf course has been planned with a design to allow about 800 single-family residences and about 350 multiple family residences.
Mayor Boch Schumm said the western development area should be nearly complete in four or five years.
City officials told the South Lawrence truthfully, 70 would increase the rate of growth by providing easy
According to Plan 95, residential development should use a neighborhood concept. This concept locates single-family residences toward the center of a neighborhood and more traffic-generating development, such as apartments or businesses, toward the edges of the neighborhood near major thoroughfares.
John Hernandez, right, and Stan Tiemeyer pour concrete at 1220 Bel Air Court in the Quail Run development in west Lawrence.
A preliminary draft of the Western Development Plan includes a proposal that an elementary school and park complex serve as the center of a neighborhood.
For example, the Qail Run Elementary School serves as the center of the Qail Run subdivision.
Mullens said sewer and utility lines were in place for most of the western development area and that construction would begin in the spring to extend the sewer lines for the rest of the area. The plan includes a
The draft of the plan recommends that growth occur in conjunction with the extension of municipal services.
In addition, the plan recommends that interior streets provide accessibility to the neighborhood but does not include bus stops.
Mullets said increased traffic flow would be accommodated once construction to widen Sixth Street to Interstate 10.
proposal that utility lines be placed underground in pew development,areas.
completed in early 1989. Also, a traffic signal has been ordered for 15th Street and Kaskid Drive.
"The area is developing in an orderly fashion," Muens said. "It is well planned, combining employm ents and training."
Several companies plan expansions in west Lawrence
Bv Daniel Niemi
Kansan staff writer
At 15th Street and Kasol Drive, 16 stores and two banks have opened in Orchards Corners shopping center this year.
W,
Although the majority of the development in western Lawrence will be residential, there will also be there and commercial development is emerging to capture business from hous-
"We're looking at 16,000 people west of Iowa street, and we’re trying to capitalize on that," said Doug Brown, sales associate. "We have the leasing agent for Orchards Corp."
We're looking at 16,000 people west of Iowa Street, and we're trying to capitalize on that.
sales associate. McGrew Real Estate Inc.
In the Oread Research Park, Oread Laboratories plans to build a new 20,000 square foot research building. Howard Mossberg, chairman of Oread Laboratories and dean of pharmacy at
Orcad Laboratories, the commercial entity for KU's Center for Biological Research, signed a contract in September to conduct pharmaceutical tests for Japanese drug companies. The additional work required by the contract means more lab
Mossberg said two more buildings could be built in the future, but that there were no plans for them now.
Down the road at 15th Street and Wakar-
us Drive, Hall-Kimbrell Environmental Services is constructing two new building on the campus to house a square-foot structure will house the United States Geological Survey, which is now in the process of moving.
The second, a $2.5 million, 20,000 square-foot structure, will be used for Hall-Kimbell's science and technology laboratory. Hall-Kimbell conducts tests for asbestos and also analyzes soil, air, water samples for hazardous material
Craig Templeton, director of corporate communications for Hall-Kimbroli, said the 10-week laboratory training program completed in mid-December and the science and technology laboratory should be started.
"Each year we've been out here, we've added another building," Templated said. "At the pace we're going, we could be in another year, but no date has been set."
Templated said Hall Kimbrell employed 740 people and would add more jobs as it expanded its science and technology services.
At 1321 Wakarusa Drive, Oread Entertainment Group is trying to finance the development of three sound stages and other offices.
Geological Survey, that these offices would be moving into the United States Geological Survey offices in Parker Hall. The museum is now housed in Moore Hall.
Marcus McCloud, the company's executive vice president, said Oread Entertainment had acquired of 12,500 square feet, 500 square feet, and 2500 square feet. He said there were also plans for administrative and production facilities in a classroom space for KU's film department.
Lee Gerhard, director of the Kansas
"We've got a major funding effort underway and we'll know within a month whether we'll be able to break ground." McCloud said.
Securities and Exchange Commission regulations prohibited him from commercial activities, but he secured McCloud. He would like to begin construction as early as next year if he succeeds.
Kresge Road, the K mact distribution center is expanding its structure by 317,000 square feet, said Michael Vergilio, general manager.
"We will be able to handle more volume, more efficiently." Virtilio said.
North of the Kansas Turnpike, at 2400
He said that the expansion should be completed in spring 1898 and that the existing center should be modernized by adding a new campus, a new building and modernization would cost $27 million.
According to information supplied by the Lawrence Planning Office, there are five proposed Planned Commercial Devices. PCDs are areas that can combine both commercial and residential buildings have more stringent planning standards.
The five proposed PCDs are at the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Wakara Drive; the northwestern corner of Sixth Street and Wakara Drive; the northwestern corner of 15th Street and County Road 12; and the southwestern corner of 15th Street and Lawrence Trafficway and Interstate 70.
runs here and there. We need grocery stores closer to the home site. So you want to provide enough commercial land to accommodate that.
Diane Mullens, a city planner, said that additional commercial development was needed, but that it was not a good idea to construct a building without a proposal for the property.
"But it's always preferable to have a proposal in front of you to judge that project based on its own merits."
According to Plan 95, the city's guide for development, any development of commercial land in western Lawrence should be designed with a negative impact on the downtown area.
"We're very concerned in Lawrence about retaining the downtown area as our primary retail center," Mullen said. "We still look at the downtown area as our shopping area. That's our primary shoppe area for clothing and household goods."
The Western Development Plan proposes that strip commercial development along Sixth Street be evaluated on its ability to integrate with surrounding property.
The plan also proposes that the intersection of Sixth Street and Wakaraura Drive be renamed to accommodate multi-family development with office and multi-family uses to create a parkway entrance in the area.
"We're looking at 16,000 people west of Iowa Street, and we're trying to capitalize on that," said Doug Brown, sales associate at Orchards Corner, the leasing agency for Orchards Corners.
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