The six candidates for the Lawrence City Commission are coming up with different ideas on just how “old style” the city’s future development should become.

The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce asked the candidates to explain whether they support the city’s recent efforts to adopt a new Traditional Neighborhood Design code. The code would call for developers to build neighborhoods that have more density, more mixing of residential, apartment and commercial uses, and would be more pedestrian friendly.

The design concept has been billed as a return to neighborhoods that are more similar to older areas of Lawrence such as Old West Lawrence, East Lawrence and Pinckney neighborhoods.

The design code – sometimes called the Smart Code – was the topic of a weeklong planning session that city leaders participated in with the PlaceMakers consulting group in early February.

Here are excerpts of how the candidates responded to the chamber questionnaire.

James Bush

Bush said other cities have tried the traditional neighborhood design concept with “mixed results,” and said he “would particularly be cautious” about making any part of the code mandatory.

He also said the community might want to take its time with adopting any traditional neighborhood development code because the city’s standard development code has been in place only since July.

“I would like to give the (current) code a little time to see how well it works – or does not work – before we add more layers of regulation and more requirements to development.”

Rob Chestnut

Chestnut said he would like to find out more information from communities that have adopted a similar code to find out how it has worked. In particular, he said he wondered whether the portion of the code that encourages neighborhood shops in new developments is feasible in today’s retail environment.

He said he had concerns about providing incentives for developers to use the code by creating a separate approval process.

“I’m concerned that the ability to fast track plans that conform to the Smart Code and bypass the City Commission might eliminate valuable neighborhood input,” Chestnut said.

Mike Dever

Dever said he was supportive of the planning concept.

“I am in favor of following some of the principles … and believe that some of them could make Lawrence a better place to live and work,” Dever said. “In theory, many of the concepts will allow our city to be more efficient, environmentally responsible and economically sustainable.”

Boog Highberger

Highberger, an incumbent, said he was excited about the prospects of the Smart Code because it could create more compact, walkable neighborhoods.

“If adopted, this will give us the tools we need to grow without sprawling,” Highberger said. “The new Smart Code has the potential to be a turning point in the history of this city.”

David Schauner

Schauner, who is an incumbent, said he thought the design concept was a “creative attempt to reduce future sprawl.”

“A reasonable alternative to sprawl with its expanded and expensive street and water/sewer network is greater density,” Schauner said.

Schauner also said he was open to the idea of making the new code mandatory for growth areas not yet in the city limits.

Carey Maynard-Moody

Maynard-Moody said she welcomed the new ideas, and was impressed by the large number of people who participated in the planning sessions hosted by the consultants.

“I support careful consideration of their proposal,” Maynard-Moody said. “It has a lot going for it.”

The chamber also asked candidates to respond to questions related to resolving conflicts with neighborhood associations, and gauging candidates’ support for the ECO2 plan to preserve open space and develop new industrial parks.

Responses to those questions can be found at www.ljworld.com.

The election is April 3. Voters will choose three candidates for three at-large seats on the commission.