Affordable housing

Lawrence critics of “smart growth” policies often point to Boulder, Colo., as a cautionary tale of trying to do too much to control growth.

That city caps new housing starts at 1 percent a year; the result, critics say, has been an explosive rise in housing costs, making Boulder nearly unaffordable for the working and middle classes.

But a story Tuesday in USA Today pointed out that Boulder also has taken steps to increase affordable housing. A requirement in place since 1991 mandates that 20 percent of all new housing developments be set aside for low-income housing.

Applicants for the housing must earn between 15 and 60 percent of the city’s median income of $74,000 per household, according to USA Today.

Lawrence officials have long talked of the need to create more affordable housing, even creating a Housing Trust Fund a few years ago.

“It’s a concept I’ve heard of,” said Margene Swarts, community development manager, of the Boulder program. “I don’t know that it’s been pursued (here) to any depth.”

Spring break

How big a deal is spring break? Look no further than City Hall.

Kansas University, Haskell Indian Nations University and Lawrence public schools all take the same week as spring break, March 21-27, and city officials also take the opportunity to get away from it all.

City Hall will be open during the week to continue the day-to-day work of keeping the city running, but Lawrence’s top elected and appointed officials will take the week off.

The City Commission, continuing a long-standing tradition, will not meet in its regular Tuesday session during spring break week. And the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission is moving its regularly scheduled meeting up a week, to March 17.

“Sometimes commissioners schedule vacation. That’s happened in the past,” City Manager Mike Wildgen said. “It’s just what it says: spring break.”

Orchards Golf Course

The Lawrence City Commission moved a procedural step closer Tuesday to putting the Orchards Golf Course off-limits to future development.

The commission approved an ordinance establishing maximum assessments on 55 adjoining properties at $280,000, to pay for a conservation easement that will leave the course under its current use and ownership but prohibiting future development of the land.

Purchase of the easement came at the behest of the 55 neighbors, who worried the property might be developed, eliminating open space useful to controlling floodwaters.

“It benefits the golf course, the neighborhood and the city of Lawrence,” said Jean Milstead, a neighborhood resident.

Jack White, the golf course owner, said the $280,000 would give him enough money to pay off Alvamar Inc., which built the course in 1979 and sold it to White in 1992. It also will give White, who owns the course with his ex-wife, Judy White, the ability to begin aggressively competing for golfers again.

Schedule

• 5 p.m. today: Sister Cities Advisory Board meeting, Max Kade Center on Kansas University campus.
• 5:30 p.m. Thursday: Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee, City Hall, Sixth and Massachusetts streets.