Land Capacity Analysis draws developer concerns about inventory, infrastructure and transparency

City planning staff briefed the Urban Experience Committee on the Land Capacity Analysis (LCA), describing it as the early, “high-level” step required by the Growth Management Act methodology to determine whether the city has sufficient land to accommodate anticipated growth. Staff stressed the LCA is a physical-capacity analysis based on zoning and development regulations and not a market-feasibility or affordability forecast.

Planner Kevin (first name only in the presentation) told the committee the analysis indicates the city has roughly 30,000 units of physical capacity under the adopted methodology, but he emphasized the figure is not a prediction of how many units will be built — it measures physical potential under code assumptions and includes a market factor that reduces calculated capacity by 30% as a conservative adjustment.

Developers and real-estate representatives told the committee they see significant gaps between the LCA results and market reality. Peter Hagen, land acquisition manager for Hayden Homes, said available parcels are constrained by topography, access limitations, price competition and inadequate infrastructure;…