A new housing development touted as a way to fight urban sprawl was approved by city commissioners Tuesday night, despite objections from some neighbors in the area of 26th Street and Haskell Avenue.

On a 4-1 vote, commissioners approved a development plan and rezoning for Prairie Wind Single Family Homes, a development that will include 17 single-family homes on three acres of vacant property at 2620 Haskell Avenue.

Several neighbors from the area expressed concern about how much traffic the development would create, that homes would be spaced too close together and that there wouldn’t be enough parking in the development.

“It is really cramped,” said J.L. Schinze, who lives near the site.

“If you have to call the old fire truck in there, they are going to have to call ahead to get a parking space.”

Commissioners said they thought the project was a good example of the development community trying to do “infill development” of vacant pieces of ground already in the city limits before building on the fringes of the community.

“Infill development is difficult, but it is the direction we always talk about wanting to go in this community because we don’t want sprawl,” Commissioner Sue Hack said.

Commissioner David Schauner voted against the proposal.

“I just think it is too much in too little space,” Schauner said. “I don’t think we’ll look back on this in 10 years and think it was a good idea.”

The project is being proposed by local architect Allen Belot.

He said homes likely would be priced in the $150,000 to $160,000 range.

Mayor wants to discuss new city sales tax

Talk of a new sales tax to fund specific projects facing the city surfaced again at a City Commission meeting.

Mayor Mike Amyx for the second evening in a row told fellow commissioners that he wants to have a discussion about putting a new sales tax in front of voters – perhaps not this year – in future years to take some burden off the city’s property tax.

“I know we will hear comments that it is a regressive tax and it may hurt some businesses,” Amyx said. “But if we really look at how you can use a sales tax, and how you can sunset it, a sales tax really can be one of the greatest tools we have.”

Amyx hasn’t begun to talk about any specifics, such as the size of a sales tax, but he told commissioners he expects to have a commission discussion on the subject after work on the 2007 budget is completed in early August.

Amyx also brought up the idea during Monday evening’s City Commission study session.

House named to city’s historic register

Commissioners unanimously approved placing the home at 820 N.J. on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

The property is thought to have been built between 1868 and 1870.

The home, now owned by Nicolette Proudfoot, is thought to have been owned at one point by the New England Emigrant Aid Co., which help found the community.