Sturgeon Bay Mayor David Ward is hopeful the trend of filling housing as quickly as it is built will continue.

Last week, city officials and the owners of Cherry Lanes Arcade Bar cut the ribbon on a new apartment project that added eight affordable housing units to the area. Ward said more than 90 applications were received for the eight units, which were built with assistance from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

Another example of the growing demand for housing is the Geneva Ridge development, where 20 of the 24 lots designated for affordable housing have been spoken for in less than three years. Ward said that when the city approved the project, officials expected it would take five to six years to fully develop.

With such a high housing absorption rate and a change in investors, Ward said the Sturgeon Bay Common Council took the opportunity to approve a new development agreement that moves the construction of affordable housing units into the first phase, with the expectation they will be filled quickly.

Ward added that the residential vacancy rate in Sturgeon Bay is about 3%, a couple of percentage points below the 5% to 8% range generally considered healthy for a community.

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council also approved the second reading of an ordinance for the Colorado Heights housing development and the change of polling place for Districts 6 and 7 from the P.A.T.H. of Door County building to the ADRC of Door County Center in Sturgeon Bay during Tuesday's meeting.