Consultant outlines parcel-level population and vacancy data; council asks for scope to test planning uses

David Farmer, CEO of Metro Forecasting Models, told the Fort Myers Beach Management and Planning Session that his firm compiles parcel-level housing and seasonal-visitor data and can model how land-use changes would affect population, services and commercial demand. "I am the CEO of Metro Forecasting Models. We are a data, **** analysis and, forecasting company. We work exclusively for governments such as yours," Farmer said.

Farmer said the firm's data set for the town is current through about October 2023 and includes counts of single-family homes, multifamily units, hotel rooms and vacant commercial acreage. He cited specific figures from county property-appraiser data his team analyzed: about 21,100 single-family homes, about 6,500 multifamily units (he distinguished condo-hotels and hotel units), 35 acres of vacant commercial land, and about 227 hotel rooms as of late 2023. "As of the…