Western Belle: a Colorado developer's risk pays off as he creaters a new model for affordability and design.(Gene Myers of New Town Development)

THE WORDS Affordable housing strike fear in the hearts of NIM-BYs and conjure visions of bland beige starter houses. And for good reason. That's what most builders build. But developer Gene Myers, president of New Town Development, thinks that the building industry should be accountable for changing the face of affordable, and he's started with a creative, attractive and with any luck, lasting community called Belle Creek.

Myers' story began several years ago when seller Sam Gary of Gary-William's Realty, approached the small, semi-custom builder about purchasing a 156-acre tract of land in Commerce City, Colo. There was a catch, though, as Gary had a definite vision for the property, which he outlined and included in the contract. The list required the good faith efforts of the buyer to provide a component of affordable housing and amenities that would ready the neighborhood for future social needs--childcare center, computer lab. recreation center, and charter school.

The deal was just what Myers, who had been considering returning to building more affordable homes, was looking for. "This presented an opportunity to carve a nicheout of a deep market, rather than…