Critics say proposed growth plan that limits annexations will make Lawrence housing more expensive

City leaders will soon consider a new growth policy that encourages infill development as the most cost-effective way for the city to grow, but some local organizations are concerned the plan’s growth restrictions would make housing in Lawrence even more expensive.

The Lawrence City Commission will soon consider the new comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, which lays out policies that will shape how the city grows for the next 20 years. Plan 2040 prioritizes development within the city’s boundaries and requires developers to meet several requirements to annex land to expand those boundaries. The city maintains that growth needs to be focused in certain areas to manage infrastructure costs, but the Lawrence Board of Realtors, Lawrence Home Builders Association and the local chamber of commerce have all expressed concerns about the annexation restrictions, saying they could make both new and existing housing more expensive.