Lawrence needs land for industrial sites and for affordable housing. But both can’t go in the same location.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission couldn’t choose between the two Wednesday night, instead deferring action on a “Southeast Area Plan” that would map the future of 1,300 acres just east of the city limits.

“Unless somebody says Lawrence has all the industrial we need, I’d take a good hard look at what we’re considering,” John Haase, Planning Commission chairman, said, suggesting changes to the draft plan that envisioned a preponderance of low- and medium-density residential construction for the area.

Planning Commissioner Tom Jennings disagreed, saying affordable housing is a higher priority.

“Trust me,” Jennings said. “We need $30,000 lots a lot more than we need anything else right now.”

The plan covers property south of the shuttered Farmland Plant on Kansas Highway 10, between O’Connell and Noria roads, north of the Wakarusa River.

Lawrence developer Bill Newsome, whose Eastside Acquisitions has proposed building 200 apartments and 55 townhomes on 180 acres of the property, said housing was needed now. The area encompassed by the Southeast Area Plan, he said, represents the city’s best chance at new affordable housing.

“I’ve not taken one call from someone asking me about industrial space,” Newsome said. “In terms of market demand, I’ve not seen it.”

John McGrew, part of a group that has control of another 75 acres in the area, agreed.

“If there was a need for industrial,” McGrew said, “we’d be developing industrial.”

Planning Director Linda Finger noted the area’s proximity to nearby East Hills Business Park. Industrial sites, she said, should be spread throughout the county.

“What we’ve heard (from economic development experts) is that we have over 500 acres of industrial development there,” she said. “You don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Planning commissioners voted unanimously to defer action on the plan by 60 days, in order to get further input from economic development officials about the site’s potential for industrial use.