Talent consultant presents draft buildable lands inventory; public feedback open through August 1

Nikki Hart Brinkley, a geographic information systems analyst with Green Top Planning, presented a draft residential Buildable Lands Inventory to the City of Talent’s council and planning commission during a joint meeting. The BLI, produced under a grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), measures how much residential land the city currently has and how much remains available for housing given zoning, comprehensive-plan designations and environmental and development constraints. Brinkley said she will accept public feedback on the draft through August 1.

Brinkley said the inventory uses city zoning as the primary source for assigning residential density—low, medium and high—because Talent’s comprehensive-plan designations do not consistently specify density. She described the state guidance thresholds she applied: low density generally up to eight dwelling units per acre, medium density roughly 8–16 units per acre, and high density above 16 units per acre. The consultant stressed these are working classifications used for the inventory, not changes to local zoning.

The present…