New row housing in downtown Lawrence

700 New Hampshire St. The now vacant building used to house a Borders book store in 2011. The parking lot will become the site of the new row houses. Tyler Brewer // KUJH

Tyler Brewer | @brewer_10

Property owners near 700 New Hampshire St. made their voices heard in objection to a proposed development that would bring in 15 new multi-dwelling residential units to the area.

The Sept. 2 city commission meeting played host to the objections surrounding the project. Property owners like Sara Norman, made their voices heard.

“This proposal has been marked by procedural missteps, unmet requirements and questionable shortcuts,” Norman said.

Norman wasn’t the only property owner who felt like the project was mismanaged. A common theme with the objections was centered on a lack of communication and notice to the property owners from the developers.

“The neighbors were not notified as was required by the city code in place, at the time,” Katie Welch said, who has lived in her house near the proposed development since she was 10 years old.

However, the city found no evidence that supported the neighbors claims. “Just because you didn’t get the notification in the mail, doesn’t mean it wasn’t sent, and doesn’t mean the developers violated any city code,” Sandy Day, the city planner, said.

Day believes the project could provide some benefit to the city.

“It activates a property that’s been long vacant and we are adding residential use downtown,”Day said.

Phil Cunningham, a member of the Lawrence Historic Resources Commission and a property owner in the area disagrees.

“I’ve seen that the price of these units may range from 600,000 to 900,00 each. And of course while all of this is speculation, I find it difficult to imagine that a family would purchase a home of this size for that price,” Cunningham said .

The project found itself in the hands of the city commission following a formal appeal made by the property owners after the development passed through the Historic Resources Commission after its third time being proposed.

Since the project was upheld by city commission members, despite some concern, the project has been green lit, and will begin in the near future.