Committee members propose expanding natural rural area on county map, plan follow-up mapping exercise

A significant portion of the May 15 meeting focused on the master plan’s growth-framework maps and whether areas currently shown as "suburban growth" should instead be designated "natural rural." Committee members brought a large printed map and sketched suggested changes, and several members said the current map boundaries do not follow clear road or physical boundaries.

Why this matters: map-category changes directly affect which land uses are primary, secondary, or conditional in particular locations. Committee members argued that expanding natural rural areas would prioritize agricultural and low-density uses and make high-density or commercial development less likely to be treated as a primary right in those places.

Discussion and next steps: committee members agreed the map needs clearer, road-based boundaries and that the committee should prepare and present specific proposed boundary lines. Members asked staff to provide larger, printable county maps the committee can mark up and requested planners’ feedback on whether proposed changes fit within the plan’s intent and the county’s infrastructure strategy.

Several members noted the plan’s maps are intended as flexible guidance but said that if flexibility is emphasized, the document should still reflect current residents’ expectations. Committee members agreed to prepare map redraw proposals and to bring road-based boundary suggestions to the next meeting so the group can forward a map-change recommendation to the full council if warranted.

Ending: The committee set homework for members to draft road- or landmark-based boundary proposals and requested a follow-up meeting to review planner responses and finalize recommended changes.