ECO²? ECO² = The exponential benefits of economic development + ecological preservation.

ECO²?

ECO² = The exponential benefits of economic development + ecological preservation

ECO² Commissioners• Trudy Rice, Chair• Larry McElwain,

Vice Chair• Bruce Liese• Rex Buchanan• Bob Rhoton• John Pendleton• RoxAnne Miller• Roger Boyd

Past Members:• Jim Roberts• Mark Gonzales• Leo Lauber• Sandra Shaw

Community Participants

Over 100 community members actively participated in the first phase of the process through the workgroups

Purpose

Develop a long-term plan for the advancement of industrial/business parks and open space preservation in Douglas County

Primary Focus Areas

• Completion of a long term plan

• Process for implementation of the plan

• Consensus building to insure success

ECO² History

• 2000-Chamber of Commerce initiated • 2002-Douglas County Commission• 2003-Lawrence City Commission• 2004-Community Work Groups • 2005-Draft Plan Proposed• 2006-Public Education and Outreach• 2007-Adoption of Plan/Implementation of Plan

Guiding Principle

• Landowner participation in the industrial/business park and open space development programs will be voluntary.

Guiding Principle

• Partnerships with developers, land trusts, and other entities will be emphasized.

Guiding Principle

• Both open space preservation and industrial/business park development should be pursued concurrently and without favoring one over the other.

What are the basics of the plan?

• Evaluation criteria for business/industrial parks• Evaluation criteria for open space• Implementation process• Public education and outreach plan• Funding options• Bylaws

Industrial/Business Site Evaluation

Criteria….• Transportation access to interstate, U.S. or state

highway or railway• Sites larger than 100 useable acres located outside the

100 year floodplain• Average slope of useable acres is less than 8% based on

physical surveys and/or topographic maps• Intent of landowners to voluntarily participate• Preferred criteria……………………………………………….

Open Space SiteEvaluationCriteria…

• Intent of landowners to voluntarily participate• The land or conservation easement can be acquired

with reasonable effort and cost in relation to value• Must be eligible land under one of the open land

categories• Proposal promotes the overall goals and objectives of

the ECO² Open Space Preservation Program.• Preferred criteria……………………………………..

Implementation

A flow chart demonstrates how a project would move through the selection process if public funds are involved

Public Education and Outreach

• Baldwin

• Eudora

• Lecompton

• Lawrence

Next Steps 2007 and Beyond

• Implementation of the ECO² Plan

• Funding Mechanisms

• Public Education and Outreach